Waiting to hear back about the outcome of your disability application can be nerve-wracking. But knowing about your chances of approval, including which states have the worst approval rates, can help you feel reassured.
States that have the worst approval rates for Social Security disability benefits include Alaska, Kansas, Delaware, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island. This can be due to various reasons, such as the state’s economic conditions, policies, access to healthcare, and other factors.
Read below to find out more about the states that have the worst disability outcomes.
SSA’s Disability Criteria
Before we move on to discuss the approval rates for different states, it may be helpful to understand the disability criteria required by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to be approved. In order to understand whether or not you qualify for disability, you must ask the following questions:
Does Your Disability Prevent You From Engaging in SGA?
The first thing that a Social Security agent or Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will look at is whether or not you are currently employed.
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) is any earnings over $1,550 per month in 2024 ($1,470 per month in 2023). A person able to work and earn over this amount won’t be considered disabled and, as a result, will not qualify for disability benefits. Ultimately, disability benefits are aimed at helping individuals whose conditions prevent them from working.
Say the work you’re doing now doesn’t qualify as substantial gainful activity. The Social Security Administration will still look at what kind of work you do and how much of it you do when determining if your disability is severe enough to make you eligible for benefits..
Although there is no hard and fast rule regarding the maximum number of hours that can still qualify, it could be helpful to consider how your job reflects your health. For instance, it could be harder to establish a person’s disability if they are working full-time as opposed to somebody whose condition prevents them from working full-time or at all.
Is Your Disability Severe?
To find out if you have a “severe impairment” as defined by the SSA, the examiner will look at medical proof to determine the severity of your symptoms.
To be labeled serious, your symptoms must affect your ability to carry out basic job responsibilities. Some of these tasks include physical activity, such as standing, walking, sitting, and lifting; others require mental processing, such as recalling specifics, following basic directions, and reacting to commonplace situations at work.
Additionally, in order for your condition to be considered a severe disability, it must have prevented you from performing these work functions for a period of at least one year.
While there are many conditions that could temporarily render you unable to perform your job functions, if your disability does not last or is expected to last for a minimum of 12 months, it will not be considered “severe” for the purposes of your disability application.
When faced with circumstances like these, it might be better to look into the possibility of obtaining either short-term or long-term disability insurance rather than Social Security.
Do You Have a Blue Book-Listed Condition?
Assuming the examiner has already established that your disability is “severe” and prevents you from working, the next step is to decide whether your medical condition is “medically equivalent” to or matches one of the conditions listed in the Social Security Administration’s listing of impairments.
Also referred to as the “Blue Book,” this list contains the medical conditions and disabilities that may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. It also provides additional information regarding the standards that must be met by your particular disability.
The Social Security Administration’s Blue Book has 14 main categories of disabilities, and each of them can have dozens of unique conditions related to the disability.
Keep in mind that you are not guaranteed benefits simply because your impairment is one of those listed in the Blue Book. Your specific disability must also fulfill the standards set forth by the Social Security Administration for severity, duration, and disabling effects in order to qualify for disability benefits.
Psoriasis, for instance, is a disorder that is included in the Blue Book; however, not all diagnoses of psoriasis will be eligible for benefits. You must be unable to carry out your essential job functions as a result of your psoriasis (among other unique requirements).
On the flip side, you can still be eligible for Social Security benefits even if your impairment isn’t listed in the Blue Book or if you don’t meet the requirements listed.
When this happens, the examiner has to decide if the condition is as severe as one in the Blue Book that is similar. In such cases, it is more important than ever to have a skilled disability attorney on your side who can collect the necessary evidence to present in your case.
Can You Do Previous Work?
The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether or not you are capable of carrying out the tasks that you have previously carried out.
The examiner will look at your RFC (Residual Functional Capacity) to make the decision. Your RFC details your limitations as a result of your health condition. To do this, the SSA will look at your work experience to find out two main things:
- Your ability to return to your prior position in the same capacity
- Your actual payroll tax contributions to the Social Security system
Some people have never paid into Social Security because they were always disabled and couldn’t find work. If that’s the case, you still have options. Those who do not have a long enough work history to be eligible for standard SSDI benefits may be eligible for a supplemental program called Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Can You Do Any Other Work?
At this point, the examiner will assess your skills, age, education, and job experience to see if there is another type of work you can do. If so, they will also decide if it is realistic to expect you to obtain employment. If a disability makes it impossible for you to do any other work, you will receive benefits, which may include back pay. The examiner has the right to reject you if they think you are capable of performing any other work.
At this stage, things might get tricky since you and your disability lawyer will have to convince the SSA that you are unable to do any job, not just your previous one. For example, if you’ve always worked in retail, you’ll need to show that your impairment prevents you from switching to a different job, such as an administrative assistant, delivery driver, etc.
The Worst States for Favorable SSDI and SSI Outcomes
Although certain states approve a higher number of disability claims, there are also states where you have a good chance of having your claim denied. The five states with the worst disability approval rates are as follows:
Alaska
Alaska has a 17% approval rating. Over the last several years, Alaska’s approval rating has been consistently lower than the national average.
As a result, it is the state with the most difficult disability claim process. Fortunately, the standard wait time for a hearing is only 14 months, which is much shorter than the 19-month national average.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that out of 137,688 people who are disabled, only 11,583 are getting disability benefits.
Kansas
The approval rate in Kansas is 33%. The majority of Kansas denials occur during the reconsideration phase. Reconsideration appeals are granted to just 18% of applicants.
Delaware
The approval rating for Delaware is 35%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 198,284 adults in Delaware are living with a disability. Still, as of 2019, just 26,574 individuals in the state are getting disability benefits, according to the Social Security Administration. In simple terms, out of all the people with disabilities in the state, only around 13% are getting assistance.
Approval ratings in Delaware have been steadily rising over the last several years. In fact, it’s close to matching the national average. However, it still remains among the nation’s lowest.
Wisconsin
The approval rating in Wisconsin is 35%. The approval rate in Wisconsin is similar to the national average, just like in Delaware. However, in comparison to other states, it remains low. But the state’s acceptance rate for reconsideration requests is 19%, which is much higher than the national average.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island has a 36% approval rating. Rhode Island’s processing time is shorter than that of several other states. On average, applicants will hear back from the system within approximately 11 months. Although it is marginally higher than the national average, it only approves approximately 36% of all claims.
How to File an Effective Disability Claim
There are some tips you must keep in mind to file an effective disability application and increase your chances of approval.
Make Sure the Application Is Complete
Make sure you are well-prepared and have all of the necessary paperwork on hand before you start the disability application process. The Social Security Administration has created a very useful checklist that can be printed out for this purpose. See what data you already have and what you could be missing.
Be ready to answer questions regarding your health in addition to the standard personal information like your citizenship status, date of birth, marital status, and any relevant details like your children’s dates of birth.
You will be required to provide an extensive amount of information regarding your medical issues, the medical procedures that you have had, the medical facilities that you have visited, as well as the names of your physicians and any other healthcare providers that you have seen.
Last but not least, you’ll have to fill out some paperwork detailing your educational background, training, and employment history going back 15 years.
Maintain Detailed and Accurate Medical Records
The key to winning a disability claim is having adequate medical proof. Make sure you have all of your medical paperwork in order before you begin the application process.
Even though the Social Security Administration will ask for the records directly, hospitals and doctors’ offices already have a lot on their plates between paperwork and patients’ clinical care demands. You can guarantee that all of the necessary paperwork gets into the correct hands by personally requesting and organizing your medical records.
Additionally, make sure to keep gathering any additional medical evidence you can after you have finished your application. For instance, you should inquire about the outcomes of any recent tests, such as x-rays, blood work, or treatment records, that you might need.
Keeping a journal detailing the dates of all your experiences with healthcare specialists will support your case even further. Include all doctors and nurses, even if they don’t seem to have anything to do with your situation.
Take, for instance, a case where you are seeking treatment from a psychiatrist for anxiety, but your application is for cancer; make sure to include this information in your documents.
Regularly Check In on Your Claim’s Progress
Each year, the Social Security Administration serves millions of people who have filed claims. Though you may be seriously ill and eligible for benefits, know that you are part of a huge community dealing with the same thing. You should maintain constant communication with the SSA to guarantee that your case is being treated properly.
Get in touch with a claims representative if you need clarification regarding your claim’s progress or any other relevant details. Keeping an independent record of your interactions with the date, name, and phone number of the individual you spoke with might be useful.
You won’t miss any critical dates that follow if you monitor the progress of your claim closely. For instance, there are deadlines to file an appeal in the event that your claim is rejected.
Conclusion
It’s possible that the overall disability approval rate of a state may impact your claim. But you can counteract this by making sure you file an effective application and by working with an experienced disability lawyer or SSDI advocate.
