How to Apply for Disability Benefits in Michigan

If you are a Michigan resident who suffers from a disabling medical condition and are unable to work because of that condition, consider filing for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) from the Social Security Administration. Since SSDI is a federal program, your Michigan Social Security office will use the same eligibility criteria and guidelines as any other state. The final decision will come from Disability Determination Services, which has four locations, the main one headquartered in Lansing.

Things You'll Need

• Social Security card
• Birth certificate
• Employer list
• W-2s
• Medical records
• Names of your doctors
• Medication list

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Instructions

• 1

  Schedule an appointment at your local Social Security office to process your intake information. Bring a copy of your Social Security card, birth certificate and work history with you, including your most recent W-2s. You will also need to gather any medical records you have in your possession, a list of your doctors and case workers along with their phone numbers and addresses, and a copy of your current medications. This information will help your disability caseworker build your file and verify your medical condition.

• 2

  Immediately fill out any additional forms the agency sends you-- delaying will slow down the process. Explain on the form how your disability affects your ability to work, and go through each job you have worked recently, citing how long you stood, walked and lifted, and whether these activities caused you pain.

• 3

  Sign release forms so your doctors can release information about your medical conditions to either the local office or the Disability Determination Services office. Set up an appointment to go over the form Social Security sends them, especially if it has been several months since you have seen them, as they will need to reevaluate you.

• 4

  If Social Security does not receive enough information from your doctors, it will send you to one of its approved doctors in your area for a physical, and possibly mental, examination. Go to the appointment at the time Social Security schedules it or the process may be delayed. Answer the doctor’s intake questions about the history of your medical problems, and allow him to perform a physical exam by testing the strength of your muscles, observing you walk across the room, etc.

• 5

  If Social Security suspects that your medical condition affects your memory or cognitive functioning, it will order a mental examination, most likely the Mental Status Exam (MSE). This exam will have you do tasks such as repeat numbers, interpret information and answer questions about a written passage.