Monmouth's Ask the Doctor May-June 2020

F I N A N C I A L H E A LT H

TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS: Social security disability benefits are available if you have a severe medical impairment that prevents you from being “gainfully” employed for at least 12 months. Because people fill out the application themselves with- out using a lawyer, here are some tips to increase the likelihood of successfully getting benefits down the road. 1. Give the Social Security Administration all the infor- mation it asks in a straightforward way. Be truthful- ly and do not exaggerate or minimize your disability. 2. List all your medical problems, not just the major one. If you do not qualify on the major medical is- sue, the combination of your other medical prob- lems may help you obtain benefits. 3. Complete a Disability Report and Function Report to explain how your medical impairment keeps you from working. If you are under age 50, your expla- nation must include why you cannot do any job, not just the jobs you have done and explain why you cannot work full time. 4. Have a relative or friend complete aThird Party func- tion report to support your claims of your symptoms and inability to do certain things. 5. If you have been terminated from jobs due to your inability to perform a job, ask for you your work re- cords or evaluations and submit them. 6. If you are denied, speak with an attorney to see if you are likely to succeed at a reconsideration appeal or a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. 7. If you are appealing to the Administrative Law Judge, never do it alone. The hearing is an actual trial and Social Security will hire experts that need to be cross-examined. You are better served by hiring a lawyer to represent you who can gather the appro- priate medical evidence, ask you the right questions in your testimony and more importantly cross-ex- amine the Social Security experts who claim you can work. We do not charge to meet with your and we are only paid if we win your case.

DON'T FACE THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ALONE! IT IS NOT THAT EASY CONTINGENCY FEE – WE ONLY GET PAID IF YOU WIN • Social Security Disability (SSD) • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Adults and Children

WRONGFUL GOVERNMENT DENIAL

Frances Anne Tomes, Esq. Tomes Law Firm, PC 1 West Main St, 3rd Floor

Freehold, NJ 07728 Tel: (732) 333-0681 WWW.TOMESLAW.COM

www.GuntherPublications.com

Publishing Enterprises, Inc. GUNTHER

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