Resources
Forms for your doctors, guidance on applying, and the Social Security references worth knowing about. Everything here is free to use, whether or not you ever become a client.
You can start the Social Security disability application immediately, and you do not need a lawyer to do it.
Filing an application with the Social Security Administration is where a disability case begins. You will need to gather records and evidence showing that you are disabled from working — which is more involved than most people expect, and is where most of the work of a case actually lives.
Most disability applications are denied as part of the normal process. That is not a reflection on you and it is not the end of the case. It is, however, the point at which representation starts to matter, because the appeal stages are decided on the record you have built. We take cases at every stage, including after a denial.
Call our office at (602) 200-9090 for help understanding how your conditions affect your case.
The Social Security Administration publishes guides describing the medical criteria it uses. These are technical documents written for adjudicators, not claimants, but they are public and worth a look:
An important caveat. Meeting a listing is one way to win, but it is not the only way and it is not the most common. Most cases are decided on what you can still do — your residual functional capacity — rather than on whether a diagnosis matches a listing exactly. Do not be discouraged if your condition is not there.
Winning for you
Every disability case turns on the applicant’s conditions. Having a particular disorder does not automatically qualify you for benefits — but a diagnosed condition, properly documented, is usually the core of a successful claim. These are conditions we see regularly:
Mental health conditions are a large share of allowances and are frequently under-documented. They are worth listing on your application even when a physical condition is what stopped you from working.
This list is not exhaustive. If your condition is not here, it does not mean you do not have a case — it means we should talk.
Getting started
Forms & applications
These are complimentary medical source statement forms. A medical source statement is where your treating doctor describes your specific functional limits — how long you can sit or stand, how often you would be absent, how much of the day you would be off task.
This is the evidence that decides cases. A letter saying you are disabled is a legal conclusion the doctor is not asked to make, and it carries little weight. A form describing what you can still do carries a great deal. Take the relevant form to your appointment, or ask us and we will send it.
How to use these. A form completed without supporting treatment notes carries little weight. These work best when your doctor has treated you over time and the form is consistent with what is already in your chart. Bring the form to a scheduled appointment rather than dropping it off — the doctor needs time with it.
Do not see your condition? The physical and mental health forms above cover work-related limits for any impairment, and are the two Social Security uses at hearings. Call (602) 200-9090 if you are not sure which one your doctor should complete.
More reading
Longer pieces on how disability claims actually work in Arizona — why they take so long, what wins them, and what you can control. Several play as audio alongside slides if you would rather listen than read.
Reference
Primary sources, for anyone who wants to read the rules themselves.
Fifteen minutes, no charge, no obligation. We handle Social Security claims and nothing else — in English and Spanish.
