Careful and complete documentation is crucial to proving you have a significant disability. At minimum, you must provide the Social Security Administration with:
1. Complete Medical Records
One of the primary reasons claimants are denied is because they fail to provide all medical records necessary to prove their claim. Although the Social Security Administration is supposed to get these records for you, you cannot rely on them to ensure the file is complete. You should thoroughly review the Social Security Administration’s file in your case to make sure they have all relevant evidence.
2. Doctor’s Opinions
One of the most important pieces to winning your claim is your doctor’s supportive opinion. Without it, you are unlikely to be approved. You will also need to provide your doctor(s) with residual functional capacity (RFC) forms to complete. There are RFC forms for physical and mental assessments, depending on the basis of your claim.
- Physical RFC: A physical RFC form assesses how your medical condition affects your ability to do certain work-related activities like sitting, standing, lifting and walking.
- Mental RFC: If your disability claim is based on a mental condition such as depression or anxiety, you will need to have your treating psychiatrist or psychologist complete a mental RFC form. The mental RFC will assess your ability to do the mental or emotional aspects of a job like remembering simple instructions, getting along with others and being reliable.
