You might have heard that being approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be very difficult. It's also usually a very long process and that process has been slowed even more by those suffering from the permanent effects of COVID-19. Before you fill out your application, consider taking the below steps. Doing so could provide you with easier and faster approval for the benefits you need.

Know the Process

It might be helpful to understand something about the way the Social Security Administration (SSA) processes applications. It will help you picture your application as it moves from section to section by the SSA.

First, your work credits are checked. The SSA uses a complicated calculation that considers how much income you have made and how much you added to the SSA system over the last several years. The easiest way to confirm your eligibility is to access your SSA account online but you can also phone the SSA or make an appointment and go to a local office. If you have enough work credits to be paid SSDI benefits, your application moves on to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) stage.

The DDS stage is the most time-consuming because the caseworkers there must determine your SSDI eligibility based on several factors. They must review the medical information you have provided and find out if your medical condition meets the standards. That means you are suffering from a condition that is not just temporary in nature but is expected to keep you from working for a long time. Be sure you mention how long you have been sick and provide medical records to prove it.

The second part of the DDS stage involves comparing your medical information to what is listed in the SSA blue book. This book contains a list of all covered conditions along with the criteria for determining the seriousness and pervasiveness of the condition. Each condition has a list of criteria that the applicant must fill. To satisfy this stage, make sure you have had the correct diagnostic tests, taken the ordered medications, and tried to alleviate the condition by following your doctor's orders.

Then, the symptoms of your condition are compared to your job tasks and evaluated in terms of how well you can and cannot perform those tasks. Finally, your condition is evaluated in terms of doing any other job given your disability.

As you can see, this is a complex matter. If you do get denied, speak to a disability attorney who can help you at your appeal hearing.