A disability that affects you daily is challenging to deal with. If your impairment is severe enough that you cannot work, you need to have some form of income to live on, but it can be confusing and difficult to file for social security or disability insurance. Getting the help of a professional can make the process easier.
Determine Your Level Of Disability
The level at which you are disabled is not always easy to figure out, but the best way to find out where you stand is to talk with your doctor about it. Whether the doctor feels you can work or not is relevant, but they may not be the person to make the final determination. The doctor can file the report saying they don't feel you can work, but that doesn't mean that the social security administration agrees. They may send you to another doctor for a second opinion, or they may deny your claim altogether.
Hiring a Lawyer
If you have been denied the first time you filed a claim, you may want to get a disability attorney to work on your behalf. You can often find a lawyer that will take the case on contingency, but keep in mind that the process can be long and drawn out, so you may go a while without an income. The lawyer will help you file the paperwork, gather any evidence, and fight on your behalf to help you get a settlement that you can live with. Disability lawyers can also help with cases that involve private insurance companies if you have disability insurance through an employer who has been giving you the runaround.
Partial Disability
If you can work but are limited by your condition to specific tasks or limited hours, you may still qualify for help through social security. The amount of money you get will be lower, but the idea is to offset what you are not able to make as a result of your disability.
Define Disability
What is or is not a disability is not easy to define. Many people feel that it means not being physically able to work, but there are physical, emotional, and mental disabilities that can affect you. For someone that can not leave their house without fear or anxiety, the disability is mental. For someone that is not able to get around physically, it is a different but no less disabling condition. Determining if you have a disability under the law can be difficult, but your lawyer can work through that with you, so you understand the legal standpoint.
