When applying for Social Security benefits, there are certain pieces of information that applicants will need to provide, including information about themselves, their medical conditions, and their employment.

Individuals who are over the age of 18, are not currently receiving benefits, and who are unable to work because of a long-term medical condition expected to last 12 months or longer may qualify for long term disability. Throughout the application process, certain pieces of information will be needed before a reviewer will be able to approve or deny the application.

The following are the kinds of information that individuals will need to submit to the Social Security Administration (SSA) with their disability applications.

Information About the Applicant

The applicant will need to provide certain personal information, including:

  • Date, place of birth, and Social Security number
  • The name of the applicant’s current or former spouse, along with the spouse’s Social Security number, age, and date of birth. Applicants should also be able to provide the dates and locations where marriages took place along with dates of divorce or death
  • The names and dates of birth of children under the age of 18
  • The account and routing numbers for bank accounts or accounts with other financial institutions in which to receive payments

Details About the Medical Condition

Applicants will also need to provide certain details about their medical conditions. This information includes the name and contact information of someone who can verify the applicant’s medical condition and help with the application. Applicants are also required to provide the names, contact information, patient ID numbers, and treatment dates for all medical professionals including doctors and hospitals.

Individuals will have to list the names of medications they’re currently taking to treat the condition and the names of medical professionals who prescribed them. It’s also necessary to include the names and dates of all medical tests the applicant received along with the names of medical professionals who requested them.

Information About Employment

The SSA also wants to know about the applicant’s work, including the amount of income earned the current and previous year and the name and address of the applicant’s employer for both years. If the applicant served in the U.S. military before 1968, applicants will also need to submit the beginning and end dates of service.

Applicants need to list up to five jobs they had within the last 15 years before becoming unable to work, along with the dates of employment at those jobs. If the applicant received workers’ comp or other types of benefits or intends to file for them, it’s also necessary to list these.

Including all of this information could help speed up the application process when seeking long term disability benefits.