Disability Benefit Tip: Helpful Paperwork to Have On Hand

When you apply for disability benefits, in addition to saving copies of your application, medical reports, and supporting documentation, you may want to think about keeping other records that you might otherwise toss or file away and forget. The following paperwork may be helpful to have on hand to calculate benefits, prove your disability, or refer to throughout your claim for Social Security Disability or Long Term Disability Insurance benefits.

• Your annual Social Security Earnings Statement. This shows the amount of your Social Security Disability benefit. You should receive a copy every year around your birthday, but you can request an additional statement here.
• Copies of your tax returns and W-2s since the date you became disabled, if not before.
• Disability insurance plan document and summary plan description
• Paystubs
• Correpondence from your employer. If you receive anything in writing about your performance, keep a copy. Any awards or praise can be used to show how well you performed before your disability affectedyour work. Any disciplinary action can be used to show why you are no longer able to work at a satisfactory level.
• Copies of your initial application for insurance coverage

Consider investing in a three-ring binder with tabs, folders, or some other system to keep all of your documentation together and easily accessible. You may want to keep it with the rest of your paperwork related to your claim, including copies of correspondence and medical records. Keeping this paperwork on hand can help you or your attorney prove your disability or answer important questionsabout what kinds of benefits may be available and whether you will have to pay taxes on the benefits.

REMINDER: DO NOT THROW OUT OLD PAPERWORK. IT MAY BE RELEVANT TO YOUR CASE OR CAN HELP PROVIDE PROOF OF YOUR CLAIM.

Copyright (c) 2008 by John V. Tucker and Tucker & Ludin, P.A. All rights reserved. For assistance with your Long Term Disability claim, ERISA Disability benefit claim, Social Security Disability claim, or Veterans Disability compensation or pension claim, call Disability Lawyer John Tucker at (866) 282-5260.