Social Security Disability benefits are something that can be life-changing for someone who is unable to continue working. Due to the serious nature of the situation, the Social Security Administration wants to make sure that only those that are in need are approved for benefits.
A key factor that plays into whether someone is ultimately approved for social security benefits, and how much they will receive, is prior work history. The amount that someone has worked and ultimately paid into the system will directly work into the equation of what their monthly benefit amount would be.
Do Disability Examiners Contact My Employer?
In addition to work history factoring into someone’s benefit potential, it also impacts the actual approval process. One of the most important pieces of information disability examiners will need to know during the process is how the disability impacts the individual’s ability to work, relative to their work history.
For example, someone could have what is considered a more severe disability, but it may not affect that person’s ability to do the actual job that they’ve always had. This determination could ultimately lead to that person not being approved for benefits. In this scenario, it’s always recommended to get an attorney involved, as there could be key pieces of information that an attorney could provide assistance with.
When an individual applying for benefits fills out the required paperwork, a lot of that information will help determine whether or not benefits are earned in relation to work history. But, not everything can be determined this way, and it is quite possible that the disability examiner will have to physically contact a person’s past employer to inquire further into the rigors of the job and past work history. Specifically, the examiner will ask about the demands that were placed on the individual while at work, and how their current disability would prevent them from currently doing the job.
The social security disability examiner may also need to contact the employer to determine how capable the individual was prior to the injury so that an accurate measure of capability can be used in comparison. This goes into a formula called residual functional capacity, which helps make the overall determination on benefits.
While it can be concerning for someone in need of benefits that their former employers are being contacted by a disability examiner, it should be noted that this is only to ensure that they have everything they need to make an accurate determination of benefits. It is also quite normal for this to happen during the application and approval process.
If you have questions, or have been denied social security disability benefits, get in touch with the professionals at Tabak Law at 844-432-0114 or by filling out a form on the site.