Can a Husband and Wife Both Receive Social Security Disability Benefits?
Two spouses are eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits at the same time. However, for this to happen, the spouses must each meet the program’s eligibility requirements. A spouse is eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits if they suffer a condition (a long-term or permanent injury or illness) that prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA).
If you and/or with your spouse are interested in pursuing benefits for Social Security disability, it is important that you speak with a knowledgeable OC Social Security disability benefits lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney can determine your eligibility to pursue and recover these benefits and will be able to help you file the necessary paperwork.
Moreover, if your disability benefits claim gets denied, your attorney could help you file an administrative appeal. Finally, after you have exhausted all your insurance company’s administrative remedies, your lawyer could file a lawsuit against the insurance company and litigate your claim in the court system to get you the benefits you deserve.
What is a Substantial Gainful Activity?
For you and your spouse to be able to receive Social Security disability benefits, you must be unable to engage in a substantial gainful activity. Typically, this means that you are not able to work at any job or in any capacity. To prove that you are unable to work, you must have a healthcare provider on board in your case. Specifically, a doctor must be willing to state in writing – and to a reasonable degree of medical probability – that your long-term illness or injury precludes you from working in any capacity.
For your Social Security disability claim to be successful, it is essential that you have a skilled doctor on board in your case who is willing to participate fully throughout the process.
Pursuing a Claim for Benefits and Appealing a Claim Denial
A knowledgeable California Social Security lawyer near you will be able to assist with gathering the necessary documentation and filing your benefits claim. Your attorney could also help you appeal a benefits claim denial.
There are many reasons why an insurance company may deny your claim for Social Security disability benefits. The most common reason is that the claim does not include supporting medical documentation. Procedural errors can also lead to a claim denial.
A knowledgeable attorney could help you file an administrative appeal with your insurance company. As part of the administrative appeals process, you can supplement the record with additional medical documentation – including medical reports in which one or more health care providers state that your illness or injury prevents you from working. It is important that you provide all this additional documentation during the administrative appeals process. If you fail to supplement at that stage, you will not be able to do so later.
After you have exhausted all your administrative remedies, if you are still without benefits, your lawyer could help you file a disability appeal through the court system.