5 Essential Tips to Ensure Your Social Security Disability Application Gets Approved

Applying for disability benefits through Social Security, known as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), can be a tricky process, especially if you are also dealing with a difficult medical decision. Follow these five tips to increase the likelihood that your application will be approved.

1. Understand Eligibility Rules

Your application for Social Security disability benefits can only be approved if you meet the eligibility requirements. These requirements involve both work hours and the degree of disability. To be eligible, you must:

• Have worked enough hours in jobs that are covered by Social Security
• Meet a strict definition of disability

Work Hours Requirements

To successfully apply for disability benefits, you must have earned sufficient Social Security credits through work. In general, you earn four credits for every year of work, though the exact calculation depends on earnings and changes each year. In 2025, you earn one credit for every $1,810 you earn in each quarter of the year.

The number of credits you need to qualify for disability depends on how old you are when your disability begins. In general, you need to have earned 40 credits (10 years of work total), with 20 of those credits being earned in the last 10 years. However, younger workers may be eligible if they have earned fewer credits.

Definition of Disability for Social Security

If you don’t meet a strict definition of disability, your SSDI application won’t be approved. To be considered disabled for Social Security benefits, you must be totally disabled; no benefits are paid for short-term or partial disability. You must also have a medical condition that:

If you meet the above criteria, you are considered eligible for SSDI. If you meet most of the above criteria but your disability is not on the list of impairments, you must show that:

• Your medical condition prevents you from performing the type of work you did in the past.
• You are unable to do another type of substantially gainful work (taking into consideration your medical condition, age, training, education, and previous work experience).

2. Keep Detailed Records

Applying for Social Security disability benefits requires strong evidence about your medical condition to help prove that you are disabled and unable to work at a substantially gainful level. When you apply, you will need to provide:

• Names and phone numbers of your doctors
• Names and phone numbers of the clinics/hospitals where you receive treatment
• Records of tests related to your condition
• Records of medications related to your condition
• Any relevant workers’ compensation claims

If your initial application for SSDI isn’t approved, however, you will increase the chances of an appeal working if you can provide additional information to support your claim. You improve the chances of your application being approved if you keep detailed records of your diagnosis, treatment, and any communication with your care team. You can also keep a record of how your condition interferes with your ability to daily life or prevents you from working; include dates, times, notes about what happened, and anything else that might be relevant.

You should continue keeping detailed records even after your application for disability benefits is approved. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is required to review your medical condition periodically to determine if you are still eligible for SSDI. At this point, you will have the chance to show once again that your ability to work is substantially impacted by your disability; having detailed records means you will be less likely to lose your benefits.

3. Double-Check Your Paperwork

An incomplete application will be rejected, even if you otherwise qualify for benefits. Double-check that you have provided all the paperwork and information that the SSA requires for an application. In addition to the medical information listed above, you will need to review and verify your earnings record with the Social Security Administration. You will also need to provide:

• Permission for the SSA to access your medical records
• Your name and Social Security number
• The city, state, and country where you were born
• Names of employers you have worked for in the last five years and dates you worked for each
• Pay rates and average hours worked for the last five years
• Social Security numbers and birth dates of current and/or former spouse(s)
• Dates of all marriages and divorces
• The city, state, and country where any marriages took place
• Full names of any children who are either under age 18, ages 18 or 19, and in K–12 school full-time, or any age who developed a disability before age 22
• Bank account number and bank routing number for direct deposit of your benefits

Double-check all the information and paperwork that you submit to ensure that it is complete and accurate. If the SSA discovers that you provided false or misleading information on your application, your disability benefits will be stopped.

4. Work With a Representative

You have the right to representation throughout the process of applying for disability benefits, including any appeals that become necessary. Your representative can be an attorney who specializes in SSDI claims or a non-attorney. Working with a professional who knows the application process well and can provide guidance along the way may increase your chances of having your application approved.

A representative is allowed to assist you with:

• Getting information from your Social Security file
• Gathering medical information or other records that support your disability claim
• Accompanying you, or coming in your place, to any interview or hearing
• Requesting a reconsideration, hearing, or review if you want to appeal a decision
• Helping you or any witnesses prepare for a hearing
• Questioning witnesses at a hearing

In most cases, any representative must file a fee petition or fee agreement with the SSA before they can charge you for their services. They are not permitted to charge you more than the SSA approves.

5. Be Ready to Appeal

If your application for disability benefits is denied, be ready to appeal the decision. There are four levels of appeal you can go through; working with an attorney who specializes in disability claims will make this process more likely to succeed.

In order, the four levels of appeal are:

1. Request reconsideration: Once you receive a decision, you have 60 days to request that an examiner from a Disability Determination Services (DDS) office reconsider your application. You can make the request online or by filling out a Request for Reconsideration form and faxing or mailing it to your local Social Security office.
2. Hearing with a judge: If the examiner still denies your claim, you can request a hearing with an administrative law judge. The hearing may be conducted online, by phone, or in person. You will have the chance to present evidence in support of your claim to the judge; having detailed records about your medical condition and your inability to work will help prove your claim. The judge can also call medical experts or other witnesses; be prepared to have someone from your care team speak in support of your claim.
3. Review of hearing decision: If you don’t agree with the judge’s ruling, you can request a review of the decision by an Appeals Council. You have 60 days to request this review. Be prepared to submit forms, legal documents, and written statements that support your claim as part of the appeal. Try to have originals or certified copies of documents available; other copies may not be accepted as part of the appeal.
4. File federal district court action: If you don’t agree with the Appeals Council, you have 60 days to file a civil suit in district court. This is the final stage of the appeal process. If you get to this stage in the appeals process and have not already been working with an attorney, this is the time to hire one. An attorney can assist you with developing your case and ensuring that you have sufficient evidence. You will also need to use registered or certified mail to send the court summons and copies of your complaint to your local Social Security General Council office.

At each point in the appeals process, plan to gather and present more evidence in support of your claim. If you don’t present additional evidence, only the information you have already provided will be considered—and so far, that information hasn’t been sufficient.

If you need to, consult your medical team or work with an attorney to determine what additional information you can provide.

The Bottom Line

Applications for Social Security disability benefits can fail if you don’t present sufficient evidence of your inability to work, if you provide false or misleading information, or if you don’t meet the strict work and disability requirements for Social Security benefits. Double-check that you meet all eligibility requirements, and keep detailed records about your medical condition and inability to work, to improve your chances of having your claim approved.

Working with an attorney who specializes in disability applications, especially during any necessary appeal, may increase your chances of having your disability application approved by the Social Security Administration.