If you are unable to work because of a disability, there are government programs available to help. Social Security disability was created to provide cash benefits to people who are suffering from a physical or mental impairment.

You can be turned down for benefits for many reasons, so it's vital that you learn about these issues ahead of time in order to raise your chances of qualifying for help. Read on for the top five reasons that you can be denied Social Security disability.

1. Your disability is not severe enough, or is not expected to continue long enough. Social Security is meant to cover you for long-term issues; it is not enough to be sick for a few weeks with a relatively minor illness, like the flu. A broken bone will heal and you will recover from most surgeries within a month or so. The impairment must last at least 12 months, and it must be severe enough that you unable to do any kind of work.
2. You did not provide Social Security with the needed proof of disability. You must ensure that Social Security receives your medical treatment records in a timely manner. Sometimes Social Security will require that you be examined by a doctor of their choosing, and you must cooperate with this request.
3. You are over the income limit to receive benefits. The income limit to receive benefits is less than $1090.00 a month. Once you are approved the amount can be more, but your benefits will be reduced accordingly.
4. You have not been adhering to the treatments prescribed by your doctors and other treatment professionals. You must have been receiving treatment and you must be taking the medications, doing the physical therapy, attending the counseling sessions, etc. or your benefits will be denied.
5. You have not responded to communications from the Social Security administration. It is of utmost importance that you provide Social Security with a good address to send mail to, since this is the primary communication method they use to give you your hearing dates or to request more information.

If you have already applied and you have been denied due to one of the above reasons, you may still be able to receive benefits if you file an appeal. You have a limited amount of time to get your appeal paperwork submitted; only 65 days from the time you receive your denial. If you need assistance with filing an appeal, contact a social security disability lawyer like the ones at the Law Offices Of Russell J. Goldsmith to help ensure that you can successfully gain the benefits you are entitled to.