Understanding Personal Injury Law

Understanding When To Apply For Disability Benefits

28 July 2015

Kristina Walker

Whether genetics, illness, or injury robs you of your ability to provide for yourself, you should be able to claim disability benefits through the Social Security program. However, you have to wade through some bureaucratic red tape before you receive your benefits. One of the keys to filing a successful application is to know when and how working will affect your claim. 

When Can You Apply?

One questions that comes up when filing is how long you should wait after the onset of a disabling condition before you file for benefits? The answer is that you can apply and be approved as soon as you show signs of disability. Thus, you should not feel like you have to wait for any length of time while you are unable to work before you can file your claim. 

Does Working Hurt Your Chances?

Some people will work up to the point that they file their disability claim. On the surface, this practice might seem suspect: "So . . . you were able to work until you filed this application; so what changed?" On the other hand, you might feel like you have to work because how are you supposed to survive without an income? If financially you can't survive without an income, but because of pain or a progressive loss of abilities, you can't really work, the key is to show that you weren't able to work "successfully." What qualifies as successful will vary somewhat from application to application, but basically, you should not be able to make more than $1,090 a month. You should also show that you could only manage to work part time because of pain, fatigue, etc. 

How Long Do You Have to Wait to Receive Benefits?

The Social Security service will withhold benefits for five months after approval. There are some exceptions to this rule, but considering that you will have to wait for a few months before you receive your benefits, working as much as you can is a good idea. Just remember that if you are able to continue successfully providing for yourself and/or working your same hours, your claim will likely be denied. If you must work, you must also prove that your disability hampers your best efforts and prevents you from providing for yourself. 

Filing a disability claim can be tricky. If you want or need help in preparing your claim, you can hire a lawyer from a company like Law Offices Of Russell J. Goldsmith to help you. Receiving an expert's help in preparing your claim can only help your chances, so if you doubt that you will be able to prepare a successful case on your own, hiring a lawyer is a good move. 

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