Disability benefits applications can be extensive. Not everyone realizes how much evidence the Social Security Administration (SSA) requires for them to become eligible for benefits. The method of journaling daily struggles caused by your disability is an effective way to increase your chances of eligibility. If you have any questions, then reach out to a Pennsylvania disability attorney for guidance.

What to Include In Your Disability Journal

When creating a disability journal, you do not have to make the journal extremely long. At the same time, the more pages of notes you have, the more details you will be able to provide about your disability. The goal of the disability journal is to describe how much your disability impairs you each day.

Disability journals do not need to be written well. As long as you make your descriptions easy to understand, the goal has been met. In terms of how to do the journal, recording dates is important. Start with a general description of the disability. Detail the limitations of your disability.

Then begin the process of writing down your experiences and limitations as they arise. Be sure to date each of these experiences in terms of days. This will vary in length depending on the type of disability you have. Some people may record periods of chronic pain while others may write down episodes of seizures.

Be sure to include as many relevant details as possible like the duration of the symptoms and what limitations they caused. Being specific about what you were not able to do as a result is important. The more examples of daily impairments you can list, the better your chances of receiving disability benefits are.

If you are taking medications for your disability, then log daily limitations and side effects caused by this too. Include details on when the effects start and end along with the names of the medications.

Other Steps When Applying for Disability Benefits

Taking other important disability benefits steps is crucial for saving you time on your disability benefits application. Knowing all the information and materials you need ahead of time is helpful. For one, be expected to provide medical evidence of your disability including:

·      Medical records of the diagnosis and expected outcomes

·      Doctor’s notes describing symptoms and limitations

·      Lab test results

Even if you have been diagnosed with a disability and have medical evidence, this may not be enough. The SSA requires your disability to limit your substantial gainful activity and ability to work. Be prepared to describe why your disability prevents you from working at another job.

If you have any questions about disability benefits, try contacting a Pennsylvania disability lawyer who can help. A lawyer can help you defend your disability claim.

Disability Lawyer in Pennsylvania

Finding out your disability benefits application was rejected can be disheartening. Do not hesitate to ask a Pennsylvania denied benefits appeal attorney for help if your disability benefits application was denied. You can contact Edelstein Martin & Nelson at (800) 300-0909 for a consultation today. Our dedicated team of Pennsylvania disability lawyers is ready to help you build a stronger disability claim.