In order to qualify for disability, you must have physical or mental problems (or a combination of problems) severe enough to keep you from working in a paying job for at least 12 months. We must prove that not only are you incapable of performing your usual job, but that you cannot perform any other job. In determining whether you can perform any other job, the regulations that Social Security uses vary depending upon your age, education and work experience.
Don't wait until you are out of work 12 months before applying for Social Security Disability. If you are unable to work now and for the foreseeable future, you should apply immediately, since the process can be lengthy and you may lose benefits by waiting too long.
Many claimants become frustrated when their doctors write a letter on their behalf, only to be denied for Social Security Disability. A report that merely states, "The patient is disabled" is insufficient. I obtain the type of report that Social Security needs to approve a claim. That is, an opinion from the treating physician as to the claimant's limitations and the reasons for the limitations.