When people in Illinois find themselves facing a disability, they may be able to receive financial assistance through the Social Security Administration’s Disability program. The program is designed to help people who are no longer able to work and do not have the financial means to support themselves.
As part of the disability qualification process, people must fill out an application to file a claim and it is a good idea for them to have an understanding of the information they will need to provide on that form.
Personal information
As with all government forms, people will need to provide their personal information such as their physical and mailing address, full name, phone number, Social Security number and email address. In addition to the general data, people should also be prepared to provide additional information about themselves. For example, if a female applicant has been married and divorced and remarried, she will need to write down her maiden name, previous married name and current name.
Sometimes people may have had a different Social Security number. They should locate the previous number and include that number on their application. This is for their benefit as they will be able to use earnings from that Social Security number towards their Social Security Disability payments, if approved. Additionally, people who have been married for over 10 years, or who are divorced, will need to submit the date of the divorce and personal information on their spouse(s).
Employment
The SSA needs to know information about applicants’ employment and this data includes the following:
- Type of occupation the applicant held
- The last day the applicant worked
- Employment history
- Income gained for the previous three years
- Spousal employment information
If the applicant was approved for workers’ compensation, the applicant will need to indicate this on the SSD application. Applicants are also required to submit a copy of the last earning statement they received from the SSA as well as any future income they are expecting to receive from their current employer. When applicants have performed military service before 1968, they should be prepared to fill out the form with information about that service.
Medical conditions
It is common for people to downplay the number of health problems they are struggling with. However, when applying for SSD, people should strive to be as honest as possible. Talking to their doctor will help people understand the extent of their disability and reduce their risk of making a mistake on the application that could lead to a denial. An attorney can also be of help to people applying for SSD benefits and can check to make sure that all information is correct and reported.
