Has A Stroke Negatively Affected Your Career?
Strokes can wreak havoc on a victim's life in many ways. If you've suffered from a stroke, you might notice a lack of enthusiasm for hobbies, lack of sensation when doing previously enjoyable things like eating and exercising and can even affect your personal relationships. In some instances, the after-effects of a stroke can have a devastating effect on your work life. To help lessen the financial impacts on your income, Social Security benefits may be an option. Read on to find out more.
A Stroke Could Affect Your Job Skills
It's vital to view your job in relation to your stroke the same way the Social Security Administration (SSA) will when they evaluate your case. When you are no longer able to perform the duties of your job due to the stroke, you might be deemed qualified for financial benefits. With stroke symptoms, there is a chance for you to improve as time goes on and so the way the stroke affects your ability to work could lessen in the future. That means that if you are approved for benefits, you will face continuing disability reviews until you are old enough to be eligible for retirement benefits. Unfortunately, there is no way to foresee the ultimate impact a stroke will have on you.
Job Skills and Strokes
The SSA will evaluate your case by taking a look at the way your stroke symptoms impact the skills needed to perform at your job. For example, if your job is an administrative assistant, the job skills will probably include the skill of speaking to visitors, making and receiving phone calls, and interacting verbally with others. If the stroke has affected your ability to speak clearly, you can draw a direct connection between the stroke and your job duties. Other common stroke issues can include problems moving extremities, vision issues, headaches, and more.
There are very few jobs that won't be negatively impacted by a stroke, but you must be prepared to be turned down and file an appeal so that you can gain the benefits you need. One of the major stumbling blocks to be aware of is the disability time constraints. You must show that you have been unable to work at your job for a full year or that you expect to be unable to work at your job for at least a full year in the future before you can be approved. Getting approved for Social Security with almost any medical disorder is a challenge. You should be prepared to show that you have been evaluated by a neurologist and provide diagnostic results to the SSA.
Additionally, do yourself a favor and prepare yourself to be turned down. Speak to a Social Security lawyer and have them by your side when you appeal the ruling and get the benefits you know you deserve.