Important Reminders when Dealing with the SSA (Part 1)
Things to keep in mind in dealing with SSA
At one point in time, every one of us would need to transact
important business with the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA is the
independent agency established through the federal law Social Security Act in
order to implement and spearhead the social security programs for its qualified
beneficiaries.
Even if the SSA is geared in favor of the people with the
right to receive social security benefits, it is still important that you know
how to transact your business properly with them to avoid any inconvenience on
your part.
Here are several tips to keep in mind:
- Make
sure that you carefully read every notice sent to you by the SSA. If you
have filed a disability claim and you received a notice of denial from the
SSA, go over the notice very carefully. More often than not, these
documents have significant information indicating your rights to appeal
your claim. These also indicate the period in which you are allowed to
file your appeal.
If you ignore these notices, likely
as not your case may be thrown out entirely because you have failed to appeal
on time or entirely failed to appeal.
You can even contact an attorney
based in California specializing in social security disability claims, as soon
as you receive a disability denial from the SSA, have him / her read, and
analyze it over with you. He or she will also guide you on the right way to
build up your case by starting an appeal.
- Make
it a point to produce or keep a copy of every important document and
notice of information you will be sending to the SSA. Always assume that
important papers may easily be lost in the SSA offices. Holding on or
producing another copy of all paperwork you will be sending is a sensible
way of protecting yourself.
Get the advice of your disability
attorney on how to organize your documents. Further, always make sure that all
information proving your case is sent to the SSA.
- Send
every significant communication and papers to the SSA by way of "Certified Return Receipt"
mail. This way, even if quite costly, protects you from denials of not
being able to receive your documents or that your documents have not
arrived on time. You will have a return receipt confirming that you have
sent the necessary papers and further proof that you sent them before a
given deadline.
- If
your budget is not enough for mailing through certified, then the best
alternative is by making copies of the documents and having the SSA local
office date stamp the reproduced copies as you deliver the original ones.
You will never know if the SSA
would suddenly declare that the documents you sent were lost. If this happens,
you still have your copies proving that you did the required paperwork within
the given deadline.
- If you
have misgivings or uncertainties regarding the SSA's decisions, make a
move to file an appeal on paper. You stand to lose nothing and gain a lot
by filing an administrative appeal.
If you think there have been some
noticeable mistakes concerning the determination f your claim, make it a point
to safeguard your rights. Discuss every development with your disability lawyer
and file an appropriate written appeal.
Through your appeal , the SSA will
be required to give out more rationale and basis for the decision they have
arrived at regarding your case.
It helps things a great deal to have a California attorney
act as your advocate whenever you are dealing with the SSA.
Get professional help in dealing
with the SSA for your social security disability claim through the California
social security disability attorneys at http://www.attorneyservicesetc.com/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lala C. Ballatan a.k.a Kay Zetkin discovered the pleasure of writing through her daily journals way back when she was 10. With writing, she felt freedom – to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns -- imagined and observed, to bear witness.
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