Using The Social Security Disability Starter Kit

If you or someone you love is facing disability and cannot work, it is time to start thinking about Social Security disability benefits and the long process ahead. To receive disability benefits you will need to fill out many forms, schedule and complete an interview, and follow through on the application process, with its many guidelines and documents.

Fortunately, there is help available to begin the process. You may start by visiting the Social Security Administration website, at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov. On the homepage, click ‘Applying for disability benefits’ and then choose whether you are applying for a child under 18 or an adult over 18. This will take you to a page with much to offer your process, mainly the Disability Starter Kit.

Without accessing the information provided, you could possibly end up spending a lot of wasted time filling out forms without the necessary documents, or going to an interview without the information needed to complete the process. The Disability Starter Kit helps to guide you through these processes and prepare you for your interview so that you can complete the necessary steps in confidence. It is easily downloaded and printed, in PDF form.

The first thing you will find in your starter kit is a fact sheet that answers many questions that people have about filing for benefits. Read this document in full, so you can put your most basic questions to rest. It also provides tips and helpful information on how to speed up the process.

Next, you will find a checklist that gives an outline of documents and information that will be requested from you. The best thing to do is begin retrieving these documents– making copies and keeping them organized and easy to access. Buy a handy file folder that you can carry to file the documents and take them with you to your interview. Keep copies in a file folder at home.

The last thing you’ll find in the Disability Starter Kit is a worksheet that helps you gather and organize your information. The worksheet gives you a head start on gathering information, such as the date you became disabled and the diagnosis of your doctor.

There is a lot of information needed for social security disability benefits. For instance, you will need to have a list of all medications you are taking and all the jobs you have held. You’ll need to provide your medical tests, birth certificate, W-2 information and information on all the doctors you have seen. Knowing exactly what is expected of you will no doubt make the entire process go a lot smoother, with no (or hardly any) surprises.

If you would like a mailed copy of the Disability Starter Kit, call 1-800-772-1213.