Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants: Managing Your Application for Disability Insurance Benefits
D. Smith


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1 The Information Social Security REALLY NEEDS
After personally speaking to Mr. Smith, I was convinced of his sincerity and committment to helping those applying for SSDI. I purchased this book, used the forms, and I got it on my first try.

His forms that I filled out(daily activities) and attached to all of my Doctor's forms were extraordinarily helpful and I believe essential in the decision making process for Social Security. It also proved helpful to the doctors who were making their reports. As long as your doctors know you, they still cannot be with you all day to know your moment to moment activities. These forms give them a birds eye view of what one deals with on a daily basis.

I recommend this book very highly.


2 Made all the difference in winning ssdi
Bought 3 books to prepare for ssdi application, this book, 2.Nolo's guide to ssd and 3. how to get ssd. Using the info in the books (and each gave insight to a diff part of the ssdi process-this book detail was the how to fill out the paperwork completely and what dis examiner was looking for in depth). I got my ssdi on first try. Having the books made all the difference in the world, I had tried for ssdi before (4 yrs ago) and did not understand the process and just gave up after I was denied and went back to work even with my med problems. Knowing the process and what ss was looking for and how to give it to them made me a winner. Best $[money]. (for the 3 books) I ever spent.
3 A Lifesaver
>I cannot say enough good things about attorney Douglas Smith's Disability Workbook. As a social worker with lupus, I had reached the point where I could no longer work, and thought that my social work experience would be an asset to me in my disability application. But when faced with the actual
application, I became completely overwhelmed. Fortunately a friend put me on to Doug's book, which was invaluable. It showed me how to organize my claim, illustrated what a medical report that is acceptable to Social Security should look like, provided forms to help me put it all together. I believe it was because of Doug's suggestions that my claim was approved on my first
try (up to 50% of first claims are denied, I have heard). My doctor also appreciated the information on how to write a good medical report. He knew I was sick and could not work but he did not know how to get that information across in a way that was acceptable to Social Security. This book is well worth the cost, is informative, empowering and gets results.

I definately give this book an A+!
>


4 A Lifesaver
>I cannot say enough good things about attorney Douglas Smith's Disability Workbook. As a social worker with lupus, I had reached the point where I could no longer work, and thought that my social work experience would be an asset to me in my disability application. But when faced with the actual
application, I became completely overwhelmed. Fortunately a friend put me on to Doug's book, which was invaluable. It showed me how to organize my claim, illustrated what a medical report that is acceptable to Social Security should look like, provided forms to help me put it all together. I believe it was because of Doug's suggestions that my claim was approved on my first
try (up to 50% of first claims are denied, I have heard). My doctor also appreciated the information on how to write a good medical report. He knew I was sick and could not work but he did not know how to get that information across in a way that was acceptable to Social Security. This book is well worth the cost, is informative, empowering and gets results.
>
5 Excellent Self-Help Resource
Anyone who is considering applying for Social Security disabiliity benefits should order this book immediately. I am attorney and have been representing Social Security claimants for over 20 years. The biggest problem most of my clients have is the overwhelming amount of information that you must provide to Social Security. Mr. Smith's book explains why each piece of information is needed for a successful result on your claim.

I have been using this book since its 1st Edition and I have never been disappointed. The most important part of the book is the section with six worksheets where you can assemble all the information you will need for your application. Even the most disorganized person will be able to use these invaluable worksheets. Many of my clients come to me after completing these worksheets and the initial interview goes twice as fast.

For successful applicants, the appendices on Continuing Disability Reviews and the Ticket to Work Act are completely up to date and provide excellent guidance.

In short, I give this book the highest rating for both its plain language approach and its superb contents. More self-help books shoould be this easy to use and useful.


6 A good place to start
Disability Workbook provides useful basic information about Social Security disability. However, its greatest strength lies in the way it can help the reader organize their medical and other disability information. For example, there are blank forms that can be completed by the reader regarding what kind of medical problems they have (impairments), the doctors they have seen, the hospitals they have been in, the medications and therapy received, their daily activities, and their work histories. By getting organized ahead of time with this kind of information, those filing for disability can save themselves a lot of time and trouble. It is an ideal companion to Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability.
7 A good place to start
Disability Workbook provides useful basic information about Social Security disability. However, its greatest strength lies in the way it can help the reader organize their medical and other disability information. For example, there are blank forms that can be completed by the reader regarding what kind of medical problems they have (impairments), the doctors they have seen, the hospitals they have been in, the medications and therapy received, their daily activities, and their work histories. By getting organized ahead of time with this kind of information, those filing for disability can save themselves a lot of time and trouble. This book is a good companioin purchase with Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability.
8 How to get your benefits and keep your sanity!
To become disabled after years of gainful employment can be a frightening experience in itself. To then have to ask the Social Security Administration for help can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task, especially if you are severely ill. The Disability Workbook can take a major amount of this fear and stress out of the situation and give you a concise, logical and informative guide on how to make your claim a successful one. The workbook sets out in clear understandable language what to expect, what the SSA looks for in defining "disability," and how to collect and organize your medical records. It provides easy-to-use worksheets covering Impairments, Doctors, Hospitals, Medication and Therapy, Daily Activities and Work History. I would highly recommend this book for anyone facing the daunting task of applying for either SSI or SSDI.
9 One of three best Social Security disability books
As a lawyer I recommend three books to individuals who ask for help in getting their Social Security disability benefits. First is our Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants. Everyone tells me that this book greatly simplifies getting disability benefits. I can testify that interviewing a client is much easier when he or she has used the Disability Workbook. Second, the book How to Get SSI and Social Security Disability, by Mike Davis, is insightful and easy to read. Mr. Davis is a former disability examiner. His clear explanations of common bureaucratic problems make his book one of my favorites. Finally, I use Dr. David Morton's Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability. Dr. Morton is a former disability determination services staff physician who describes Social Security medical decision making better than anyone else I know. Every doctor who communicates with Social Security about patients should have Dr, Morton's book on the shelf - and every disability lawyer. I give all three books the highest rating.

Friday, 25-Jul-2008 07:54:13 CDT
Quote of the Day:


The Greatest Mathematical Error 

The Mariner I space probe was launched from Cape Canaveral on 28
July 1962 towards Venus. After 13 minutes' flight a booster engine would
give acceleration up to 25,820 mph; after 44 minutes 9,800 solar cells
would unfold; after 80 days a computer would calculate the final course
corrections and after 100 days the craft would cirlce the unknown planet,
scanning the mysterious cloud in which it is bathed.
However, with an efficiency that is truly heartening, Mariner I
plunged into the Atlantic Ocean only four minutes after takeoff.
Inquiries later revealed that a minus sign had been omitted from
the instructions fed into the computer. "It was human error", a launch
spokesman said.
This minus sign cost L4,280,000.
-- Stephen Pile, "The Book of Heroic Failures"

Q: How do you save a drowning lawyer?
A: Throw him a rock.