Ten Tips When Dealing with the
Social Security Administration

1. Read every notice that you get from the Social Security Administration carefully.
It is especially important to carefully read the denial notices that you may receive from Social Security. These notices contain important information about your appeal rights and indicate how long you have to file an appeal. Ignoring the content of these notices can lead to having your case being thrown out for either failing to appeal or failing to appeal on time. A southern California Social Security disability attorney can guide you through the appeal process and help you build the case you need to win. In most cases, the Law Office of Tim Whisman won't charge any fee at all unless you win the Social Security disability benefits you deserve.

2. Make sure to make and retain a copy of any important information or documents that you send to Social Security.
The rule of thumb is that if it’s important, assume that Social Security will lose it. Protect yourself by making and holding on to copies of anything that you send to them. A good California Social Security disability attorney will help you to organize your important documents, and make sure that the Social Security Administration has the information that proves your case.

3. Send important correspondence and documents to SSA via certified return receipt mail.
Although this is not cheap, the return receipt will confirm that you both sent the document or appeal in question, as well as providing proof that you did so before a deadline date.

4. If you cannot afford to mail via certified, make copies and have the local SSA office date stamp your copies when you deliver the originals.
If the documents are later lost, you can then produce your copies which were date stamped by local SSA office to prove that you did what you were required to do within the deadline period. Consult with your southern California Social Security disability attorney to make sure you have the proof needed to make sure you don't lose your benefits just because the Social Security Administration lost your documents.

5. If in doubt, file a written appeal.
It costs nothing to file an administrative appeal. To protect your rights, file a written appeal as to any determination you think is wrong, or that you think might be incorrect. If nothing else, the filing of an appeal will require SSA to furnish further reasons and rationale for their original decision. It is wise to seek the guidance of a California Social Security disability attorney when writing an appeal to the SSA, or attempting to understand the reasons for a denial to better prepare your appeal.

6. Be sure to maintain regular treatment and care for whatever you suffer from that prevents you from being able to work.
Treatment records are the evidence that is relied upon to prove the severity of your physical and/or mental health problems. Without the solid support of treatment records, claimants have very little chance of winning their cases. You must have back-up from your doctors to have a chance of winning.

7. Make sure that you tell your doctors about all of your significant symptoms.
Because treatment records are the critical evidence in proving your disability case, make sure that your doctors know what you are suffering from. Don’t suffer in silence! The more you let your doctors know what’s going on with you, the greater your chances will be of: 1. getting effective treatment; and 2. having your impairments accurately and fully documented in the medical records. Disability benefits are unlikely to be awarded because of a medical/mental condition that was never mentioned in any of the doctors’ treatment records.

8. The name of the game in dealing with SSA on a disability claim is:
PERSIST!!!!
The Social Security Administration is hoping that you get so frustrated and discouraged by their denials, that you give up. They are hoping that you will be too frustrated to appeal. Many people who eventually win their disability claims did so only because they kept going, kept appealing, kept fighting – even though they were originally denied by SSA on their claims. If you believe that you are disabled, keep going! You may be in for a marathon – not a sprint. So find a pace that you can keep up, make sure that you file your appeals before the deadline dates, and keep on fighting. You should seek the caring support of a dedicated and experienced southern California Social Security disability attorney. At the Law Office of Tim Whisman, you know your attorney cares about winning as much as you do, because he doesn't get paid unless you do too.

9. Understand that “disability” as defined by SSA means that you cannot do any type of a full-time job.
It is not enough to just show that you are unable to return to the type of work that you used to do. What you suffer from has to add up a conclusion that there is nothing that you can do on a full-time basis in terms of employment. This is not an easy thing to prove. Educate your doctors as to the full extent of your limitations so that they can support you in your assertions to the Social Security Administration that you are not employable in any capacity. Your Social Security disability attorney can help you to understand what the Social Security Administration will need to know about your condition to convince the, that you can not work.

10. Consider hiring an attorney who is knowledgeable in advocating Social Security and SSI Disability claims.
You should be aware that you are not required by law to have an attorney represent in your administrative proceedings before the Social Security Administration. However, you will find that it will be strongly recommended that you hire an experienced California Social Security disability attorney – especially when it comes time for the hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Social Security Disability and SSI Disability claims are not easy to win. The system can be tough and technical. At your hearing, it is likely that the Administrative Law Judge will call a Vocational Expert, or a Medical Expert, or both to testify. Cross examining such experts, as well as dealing with the requirements of the Administrative Law Judge, requires a level of experience and expertise that only skilled representatives in this area of law possess. Attorneys who are knowledgeable in the area of Social Security law can improve your chances for success.

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