One day at work, you suddenly feel a tingling in your hands and feet. The first thing that pops into your head is that you have developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or another type of repetitive motion injury. The tingling eventually morphs into acute pain, and at times, areas of your body feel numb and weak. After visiting your doctor, the diagnosis is peripheral neuropathy, which refers to a medical condition that causes damage to the nerves transmitting signals from the brain and down the spine to the rest of your body.
With your work performance quickly declining, how are you going to maintain your current earning power? The answer is to ask the Social Security Administration (SSA) for financial assistance.
How the SSA Helps Sick and Injured Workers
Older workers highly anticipate retirement and the income they receive for not working anymore. The SSA runs the Social Security benefits program that helps most workers supplement their retirement incomes. What many American workers do not realize is that the SSA offers a financial buffer for sick and injured workers through a program called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). More than 200,000 Americans younger than 25 years old receive some type of financial assistance from the SSDI program. However, most of the recipients of SSDI aid are older American workers.
Blue Book is the Standard for Benefits Eligibility
The SSA follows the criteria for approving SSDI benefits found in a resource called the Blue Book. Hundreds of conditions that fall into 14 categories comprise the diseases and illnesses that qualify American workers for SSDI benefits. In addition to listing medical conditions, the Blue Book presents the severity of symptoms associated with each listed disease and illness. The Blue Book establishes the minimum standards applicants must meet to receive financial assistance. Peripheral neuropathy is listed in the Blue Book neurological category of section 11.14.
What is the SSDI Benefits Application Process?
At the heart of the SSDI benefits process is a comprehensive application that informs SSA administrators about the presence of peripheral neuropathy. The application must include 100 percent accurate information, and any deception discovered can result in a substantial penalty. You have to show the illness has negatively impacted your job performance, such as presenting copies of paychecks that clearly show a decline in earnings. You must also provide the SSA with medical documents that prove a diagnosis for peripheral neuropathy. Diagnosing the illness requires the results of blood, imaging, and nerve function tests. Your physician might also conduct a biopsy to determine the extent of nerve damage.
How Do You Apply for SSDI Benefits?
There are three methods used to apply for SSDI benefits. Submitting an application by a sending it through the United States Postal Service (USPS) is reliable way to submit an SSDI application, especially if you send the application via certified mail. However, mail service can delay the review of your SSDI application. Therefore, you should consider submitting a claim in person at the nearest SSA office of by going online to the SSA website and submitting the electronically generated application.
Whatever method of submission you decide to use, working with an experienced disability lawyer can bolster the strength of your SSDI application. Your attorney not only ensures the accuracy of the application, he or she also acts as an advocate for your rights. Schedule a free initial consultation today with an accomplished disability lawyer.
