Social security is a government program that provides financial benefits to certain individuals who cannot look after themselves as a result of a physical or mental disability or old age. Although the amount is not a great deal, it is estimated that a very large percentage of those people who are over 65 years of age rely on social security benefits to meet their financial needs.
There are two types of social security claims in Chicago that can be made; one id for retirement benefits and the other is for disability benefits. The application process is quite easy; it can be done over the telephone, through the social security web site or by visiting any local social security office. Most people prefer to make their application in person as it provides them with an opportunity to talk about their application in detail. Finding the closet social security office is not difficult; they are listed in the phone book and on the internet.
There is a need to provide a number of documents with an application; this is a further reason for making a personal visit to the office. The documents that are called for are used to support the claim and in the future, validate it. The documents needed for retirement social security claims in Chicago are straight forward; the individual’s birth certificate, social security number and the most recent federal income tax return.
Applying for disability benefits is a different thing all-together. It is incumbent on the applicant to prove that he or she is truly incapable of work as a result of a disability. This is not always easy and in the majority of cases the initial application is denied, not necessarily that it is not believed, but the application may be missing some necessary support documents or it may be incorrectly filled out.
When a claim for disability benefits is denied, most claimants seek legal assistance. The process is very complex and the criteria for approval are convoluted; only a lawyer can genuinely make sense out of it. The lawyer will prepare a rejoinder and resubmit the application for review. If the application is still denied, the lawyer will take the case before a judge in an effort to prove to the courts satisfaction that the applicant is indeed disabled and warrants the benefit package. For more details, visit Ankin Law Office, LLC.
