Applicants for disability benefits who provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) with timely, accurate, and complete information and evidence will typically help accelerate the processing of their claim. Once an applicant establishes the existence of an impairment, the SSA considers all evidence from all medical and non-medical sources to assess the extent to which a claimant’s impairment(s) affects his or her ability to function in a work environment.

The SSA considers medical records that include test results from MRIs, CAT-Scans, X-rays, and EKGs; reports from a treating doctor or psychiatrist that states the disability; the reported symptoms; the doctor’s findings, the medications taken and how the disability causes difficulties in physical and/or mental functioning.

An applicant must inform SSA or submit all evidence known to the applicant that relates to whether or not blindness or a disability exists. This duty is ongoing and requires the applicant to disclose any additional related evidence of which she becomes aware during the entire administrative review process. This evidence must be complete and detailed enough for SSA to determine the nature and severity of the applicant’s impairment(s); the duration of time that the applicant has experienced the impairment(s), and whether the applicant still has the ability to perform work-related physical and mental activities despite the impairment(s).

If an application is denied, SSA will send the worker a written notice stating that an appeal must be filed within 60 days of the denial notice. What happens next depends on the underlying reason for the application’s denial. If denied for a non-disability reason such as too many assets, the worker must request a “reconsideration.” If this is also denied, then a worker must request a “hearing.” If denied for a reason related to the disability itself, a worker must request a “hearing” in Pennsylvania.