Denial of Social Security Claims in Illinois

Applying for Social Security disability benefits–whether Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)–can be a big undertaking, yet one that may be crucial to your ability to provide for yourself moving forward. However, despite how important being approved for benefits may be, the denial of Social Security disability claims in Illinois is more common than you may think. The following considers some of the most common reasons for claim denials, which will be discussed in more detail in corresponding posts.

If your Social Security disability claim has been denied, it could be due to a lack of hard medical evidence that proves that you have a disability, that the disability is severe enough to prevent you from being able to work, or that it is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death. Hard medical evidence is definitely one of the most important parts of a claim for Social Security disability, and without enough of it, your application will most surely be denied… READ MORE

You might think that if you are reapplying for Social Security benefits after having your claim denied, you will have a better chance of having your claim approved. However, this is not always the case. In fact, the opposite may be true – the person reviewing your claim may see that you have been denied before, and therefore be biased against you when processing your claim. What’s more, if you have been denied before as a result of a legitimate reason (like a lack of hard medical evidence), and you do not correct this fault when re-applying, your claim will likely be denied… READ MORE

In order to get approved for Social Security disability benefits, you must have a disabling condition that not only prevents you from performing work, but also that has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death. Which means that even if you are truly disabled and cannot currently work and earn an income, if your disability isn’t expected to last, your claim will be denied. In order to satisfy the time requirement, you will need to provide thorough medical evidence… READ MORE

Finally, a failure to follow the treatment prescribed by your doctor may result in your claim for Social Security disability benefits being denied. This is because if you fail to follow your prescribed treatment regimen, the person responsible for reviewing your claim may assume that you would have recovered (and not be disabled) but for your failure to follow your doctor’s orders. As such, listening to your doctor and doing everything you can to recover is essential if you want to be approved for Social Security disability benefits… READ MORE

Of course, other minor things and mistakes on your application can affect whether or not your application is approved. As such, it is advised that you work with an Illinois Social Security disability lawyer if you want to improve your chances of your claim being approved the first time.