Hearings of any circumstance are an intimidating event. You may encounter some things you were not expecting. Preparing yourself will guarantee you receive the best outcome during a hearing. A lack of preparation may result in losing your disability payments or returning any money you have received. If you are in the appeals process, you should have documents ready to go for your hearing. Being prepared will give you an edge to ensure you receive the full payment for your disability payments. You don’t want to show up and look like a fool without any documents or preparation.
If you file for disability payments and are denied, like a lot of first-time filers, you may be granted an appeal. You may go through two levels of appeals before you see a judge. This process can take up to a year or more, depending on the case. There are some things you should gather before going to the hearing. If you don’t collect these important papers, you can be sure that your case will not go your way. You will need to start collecting these documents as soon as you file for disability payments to ensure you have everything you need.
You will need to medical records. Any additional medical records will solidify your case. SSA will not gather the information for you, so you will need to gather the information yourself. You can retrieve your medical records through your medical providers. You should give at least a 30-day notice to obtain your records. You can make copies and send them to the ODAR. You can review your disability case file to find the right medical records, so you don’t have too many duplicates. You should find the latest dates the SSA has for you and provide further information they don’t have.
You will want to obtain a doctor statement to have their opinion on file. Your doctor can provide a detailed letter stating the severity of your disability. Information regarding work activities on what you can or cannot do should be included in the letter. An RFC form from your doctor will help you fill out the correct paperwork. You can review your case file to make sure you have all the right information. Finding a disability advocate who can help you argue your case will go a long way to convince the judge to grant you any payments. Click here to know more
