First-Time Disability Claim: How to Get Approved
If you are new to the application process for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), it can be complicated and confusing. An omission or mistake on the application can lead to delays or a denial of benefits.
Fewer than one-third of claimants filing a first-time disability application for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits have their claims approved. That leaves more than two-thirds of first-time applications without benefits unless they challenge the unfavorable determination through an appeal process.
The Clauson Law Firm team of disability professionals understands the application process and what it takes to increase disability approval chances when submitting a claim for SSDI and SSI. The following disability approval tips from the Clauson Law team can improve your chances of success during the initial review process or when appealing an unfavorable outcome.
Start By Learning About The SSA Disability Benefits Programs
Social Security has two programs providing disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The form you complete when applying for disability benefits through the SSA is an application for both programs. Social Security determines whether you qualify for benefits through SSDI, SSI, or both.
SSI disability eligibility requires that you be disabled and meet a strict financial-needs test by having little or no income and limited resources. Total resources may not exceed $2,000 in value for individuals or $3,000 for eligible couples.
The SSI program, unlike SSDI, also provides benefits to children from birth through 18 years of age with disabling medical conditions. Adults 65 and older who meet the income and resource requirements may qualify for SSI without having to meet a disability standard.
The SSDI program focuses on people who develop disabling medical conditions and cannot work before reaching the age to collect full retirement benefits through Social Security. You must have a long enough record of work at jobs where Social Security taxes were paid on the money you earned.
Whether you worked long enough for SSDI eligibility is determined by work credits earned on your yearly wages from working at jobs or the income earned through self-employment. You may earn up to four work credits annually, but the amount needed to earn them changes each year. For example, a person earns one work credit for each $1,810 in wages or self-employment income per quarter in 2025.
You generally require 40 work credits, with 20 of them earned within 10 years of the onset of your disability, but the age at which you become disabled can be a factor in determining how many work credits you require. The younger you are when you become disabled, fewer work credits are necessary to qualify for SSDI. A consultation with a disability lawyer at Clauson Law can help you understand the number of work credits you currently have and the number needed to qualify for SSDI based on age.
Learn The SSA Standard For Disability Used To Evaluate Applications For SSDI And SSI
You cannot qualify for SSDI or SSI disability benefits with a partial or short-term disability because of the strict standard used by the SSA to evaluate claims. To be eligible for benefits, you must have a disability that meets all of the following criteria:
- You have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment.
- The impairment or combination of impairments keeps you from working at a substantial gainful activity level.
- You cannot do any work you did in the past or adjust to doing other types of available work.
- Your medical condition is expected to last or has lasted for at least 12 consecutive months or is expected to result in your death.
Medical evidence, including a diagnosis by a medical practitioner, must support claims for disability benefits. The evidence must prove that you have a medical condition severe enough to meet the standard used during the evaluation process to decide whether you are disabled and unable to work.
The Process Used To Decide If You Qualify For Disability Benefits
Although SSI and SSDI differ in their non-medical eligibility requirements, they use the same medical standard to determine whether a claimant has a disability by reviewing medical evidence to decide whether they have the functional capacity to work. The SSDI approval process, also used to decide whether you qualify for SSI, is sequential and seeks answers to five questions:
- Are you working at a substantial gainful activity level? The guideline used to answer the question is your average monthly earnings. The amount changes annually, but the substantial gainful activity (SGA) monthly earnings average for 2025 is $1,620. If you earn more than that amount, you are not disabled according to the SSA standard. Applications of individuals who do not earn more than the SGA amount or are not working proceed to the next question.
- Is your medical condition severe? A review of the medical evidence and other documentation supporting your claim must show a significant limitation for at least one year of your ability to do work-related activities, such as walking, sitting, lifting, standing, or remembering. The process moves to the next question only if there is evidence of a significant limitation.
- Does your condition meet a listed impairment? The SSA maintains a Listing of Impairments containing medical conditions considered severe enough to prevent a person from performing SGA. If you meet the criteria for a listed condition, you meet the disability standard. Applications with conditions that do not meet the requirements of a listing proceed to the next question.
- Can you do the type of work you did before? If you can do the work you did in the past, you are not disabled. However, if your medical condition prevents you from doing your past work, the process continues to the last question.
- Does your medical condition allow you to adjust to doing another type of work? The SSA considers your education, age, work experience, and transferable skills to determine your ability to adapt to doing other types of work. If you cannot, then you qualify for disability benefits.
Most applications for disability benefits do not make it through the evaluation process with a favorable outcome. If your claim for SSDI or SSI benefits is denied, you can challenge the decision through different levels of an appeal process, where many people achieve a favorable outcome.
How To Apply For Disability Benefits Through The SSA
The SSA provides three methods to apply for disability benefits for adults through the SSDI and SSI programs:
- Online using a “My Social Security Account.”
- In person at a local Social Security office.
- By calling 800-772-1213 to complete an application over the phone.
Regardless of the method chosen for completing an application, you can expedite the process while minimizing errors and omissions by gathering the information you’ll need before beginning the application process.
Some of the information needed to create a “My Social Security Account” to complete the application process online includes the following:
- Your date and place of birth. If born outside the United States, have your Permanent Resident Card available if you are not a U.S. citizen.
- Marriage and divorce information: Names of current and any former spouses, the dates of marriages, dates any marriages ended, location of marriages, and dates of birth and Social Security numbers of current or former spouses.
- Names and dates of birth of children 18 or younger who are unmarried, children 18 to 19 who attend secondary school on a full-time basis, and children disabled before age 22.
- If you served in the U.S. military, the branch you served in, whether you were in the reserves or on active duty, and dates of service.
- Employer information, including names, dates of employment, and total earnings for the past five years.
When applying for disability benefits, you must choose a direct deposit option for receiving your monthly benefit payments. For direct deposit to a domestic bank, you’ll need the name of the bank, account number, and the bank’s routing number. The SSA has a checklist containing the information and documents needed to complete an online application for SSDI and SSI, including what’s required to set up international direct deposits if you do not use a domestic financial institution.
Improve Your Chances For A Successful Outcome
Mistakes, inconsistencies, and missing information can delay processing time for an application for disability benefits. Failure to promptly respond to requests from the SSA for additional information or documentation could result in a denial of what could otherwise be a valid claim for benefits. Take your time when filling out the application, and review it to ensure accuracy before submitting it.
It takes time for the SSA to process your application, so don’t be alarmed if you do not receive a response within a few months. The status of your application can be checked by contacting Social Security or through your “My Social Security Account.”
Get Professional Help With Your Claim For Disability Benefits By Contacting Clauson Law
Data from the federal government reveals that claimants with a representative assisting them through the initial application or appeal process are three times more likely to have a successful outcome than those without representation. Learn how Clauson Law can help with your application or appeal by contacting us for a free initial consultation and claim evaluation.
