Martin J. Linnet, Esq.
4155 East Jewell Avenue Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80222
Phone: (303) 279-7310
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Martin J. Linnet, Esq.
Address: 4155 East Jewell Avenue Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80222
Mailing Address: 133 South Indiana Way
Golden, Colorado 80401
Phone: (303) 279-7310
Fax: (303) 279-8785
E-mail: marty@linnetlaw.com
Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
● Over 27 Years Of Experience
● Free Initial Conference
● Serving The State of Colorado Since 1989
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How to Prepare for Your Social Security Interview
It is very helpful to answer the following questions prior to your interview with a Social Security operator:
1. Are you working now?
Your answer needs to be, “no” or, “I have been trying, but I keep losing my job because I am out too much.” If you are unsure ask your representative how to answer this question. If the Social Security operator concludes that you are still working, he/she may not take your application.
2. When did you become disabled?
This date will become your onset date. This is very important. In many cases, your onset date is the last day you were able to work. While it will be hard to prove an onset date more than two or three months prior to the day you stopped working, the point to keep In mind is that generally, the earlier your onset date, the better.
3. Why are you disabled? What causes or conditions render you unfit to work any job at all?
The best way to answer this is by providing your complete and comprehensive medical history. At a minimum, your medical history file should contain the name, address and phone number of each and every doctor, hospital, emergency room, clinic or other health care provider you have seen, including the dates of office visits and treatment for as far back as you can remember.
Focus on the vocational (work) limitations that arise from your medical condition. Also remember to be very specific. A statement that I can't walk very far and my legs hurt a lot means nothing. A statement where you report that, “I can walk no more than 30 yards before I have to sit down and my leg pain is a sharp shooting pain from my hip to my feet that feels like an 8 on a 10 point scale," means something to Social Security.
You need to take an active role to make sure that Social Security has an updated list of all physicians and current records. Encourage your doctor's office to cooperate with Social Security. Help build a solid medical record by asking your doctor to create a letter or fill out a form that identifies the specific work-like activities that you can no longer perform.
4. When, where and how were you employed?
Please provide a comprehensive list of all past jobs and employers. We typically recommend going back at least 15 years. Make sure you provide updated, accurate contact information for each job. You will also need to highlight those instances where your disability interfered with your work on a consistent basis.
Social Security will ask for this information in a variety of forms. Save yourself a lot of time and energy by creating as detailed a list as you possibly can. You may have to ask for help from family or friends to complete this. You will need accurate dates, job descriptions, employers' contact information and specific individuals who you worked close to or under. Also, it is best to identify those jobs where you were hindered by your disability.
Obtain as much information as you can prior to your initial interview. But remember, disability awards may take more than a year to acquire. It's better to start the process now rather than wait until you have all of the detailed information your case will require. We are experts at assisting our clients in gathering and assembling the documents you will need to win your case.
Other Social Security Programs Designed to Help You
In addition to SSDI, Social Security has several other disability programs. Here are some, but not all of the programs that may apply to you:
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits: This disability program pays benefits to people who have not earned enough work credits to qualify for Disability benefits, and who have very limited income and resources. In some cases, Disability claimants can also qualify for SSI. Since there is no harm or cost in applying, every Disability applicant should also ask that he/she apply for SSI as well.
Disabled Widow's Benefits (DWB): This is a disability program in which claimants can apply for benefits based on their deceased spouse's earnings record. You become eligible on your 50th birthday if the onset date of your disability is within 7 years of your spouse's death.
Divorced Spouse's Benefits: This is a disability program in which a claimant can apply for benefits based on his/her divorced spouse's earnings record. To qualify, you must be at least 62 years old, currently unmarried and have been married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years.
Benefits Payable to Your Children: This program may apply if you have children under the age of 18 or if you are caring for a disabled child. Generally, dependent children of a disabled parent will receive about 50% of the disabled parent's monthly benefit. The 50% is divided equally among all eligible dependents.