If you have prostate cancer, you may find yourself unable to work and earn a living. You may qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you apply for disability benefits, and your claim is denied, you should not give up.
Most disability claims are denied during the first review. Actually, about 70 percent of disability claims are denied, so you will need to gather additional details and file an appeal to have your claim reconsidered. You should continue with the claim.
How To Appeal the Decision
If your disability claim is denied, you will receive a letter from the SSA. This letter should indicate why your claim was denied, so you can gather supporting evidence to ensure your claim gets on the right track. The letter will also indicate the deadline for filing an appeal. The appeal is also called a request for reconsideration.
You will likely want to enlist a disability attorney to help you with your claim, An attorney will know what additional details that your claim needs to succeed, and your lawyer will make sure your appeal is filed by the deadline. If you wait until the deadline passes, your claim will have to be refiled and the process will start all over.
Blue Book For Condition
You should review the criteria in the Blue Book that apply to prostate cancer. You will need to provide supporting evidence that show your condition meets those criteria for your claim to be approved per the listing. If the prostate cancer was advanced when diagnosed, or if it recurred after treatment, your claim will automatically be approved just so long as you provide supporting documentation.
To meet the criteria of the listing, you must show that the disease has progressed or returned despite initial treatment, the cancer has spread or metastasized to internal organs, or that you have small cell or oat cell carcinoma. You will need to provide physician notes, surgical records, and test results.
Consider an RFC
If your prostate cancer doesn’t meet the criteria of a listing, you will need to pursue your claim using a medical vocational allowance with a residual functional capacity (RFC). The RFC, completed by your physician, will detail what you can and cannot do. It will detail how often you must reposition, how far you can walk, and how much you can lift.
The medical vocational allowance will review your age, your past work history, any of your transferrable skills, medical conditions, and educational background all together to determine your ability to work, and if you can work, what kind of job you can do.
Don’t Try It Alone
If you are disabled because of prostate cancer, don’t try to take on the claims process by yourself. Instead, enlist the help of a disability lawyer. You are much more likely to get your claim approved if you are represented by an attorney.
Be sure to continue with your medical care and adhere to doctor’s orders. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form today.
