If you have suffered a stroke and you think you will be out of work for at least 12 months, and if you have strong supporting documentation to support your claim, your claim may be approved, and you may be awarded disability benefits.
You should make sure you gather supporting documentation and medical evidence to support your claim and show how your stroke affected your ability to work. Here are five signs that you will be approved for disability if you suffered a stroke.
Sign 1: You meet the non-medical requirements.
This means that you have worked enough to earn the credits necessary to be covered by Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). To be covered by SSDI, most people must have worked the equivalent of five years full-time out of the last 10 years. Of course, that could vary somewhat depending on age, medical condition, and work history.
Sign 2: You have sufficient medical evidence.
Many claims are denied on the initial review because of a lack of supporting evidence. If you have supporting medical evidence and documentation, then you will improve your chances of having your claim approved and being awarded disability benefits.
Hard medical evidence includes physician notes, imaging and lab results, physical therapy records, and treatment plans that detail your response to treatment and the prognosis. You must show your response to the treatment plan and how your daily life is affected.
Sign 3: You cannot work for at least 12 months.
If you cannot work for at least a year because of your disabling condition, you may have a chance at getting your claim approved and being awarded disability benefits. If you will be disabled for less than 12 months, you will not qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
Sign 4: Your condition meets a Blue Book listing.
If you can show that your condition meets the criteria of a Blue Book listing, then you may be awarded disability benefits.
If you cannot meet the listing criteria, you may qualify through a medical vocational allowance and the help of a residual functional capacity (RFC) form.
Your treating physician can help you with the medical vocational allowance and will make sure you have all the supporting documentation required to get your claim on the right track. Your physician will know your restrictions and limitations and how the stroke has affected you.
Sign 5: You are working with a disability lawyer.
Claimants who are represented by a Social Security Disability attorney may have a better chance to have their claim approved and be awarded disability benefits.
An attorney will know what evidence that you need, help you gather the evidence, and prepare you for a hearing should your claim advance to that level.
Lawyers will make sure all the documentation is provided and all claims are filled out in detail, and that you can prove you are unable to work and earn a living because of your medical condition.
