Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants
(7th edition, Rev. March 2008)
by Douglas M. Smith, Attorney at Law

Click here to view Table Of Contents. (18 KB pdf file)

Review: "More than two-thirds of claims for Social Security disability are denied in the initial decision. 

In this updated Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants, experienced disability lawyer Douglas Smith guides applicants through the process with the goal of getting benefits promptly, without unnecessary appeals. 

The new edition discusses the "proofs" that the Social Security Administration processors look for, and it tells you how to keep your benefits through periodic disability reviews.

The workbook is written in clear language and realistically depicts the roles of applicants, their doctors and the SSA in establishing qualifications for disability benefits. It tells how to find an experienced disability lawyer and how to unravel bureaucratic tangles by getting help from your members of Congress.

Smith ... advises people who win disability benefits to stay prepared for a future disability review (typically three years from the award) by seeing their doctor regularly and keeping copies of medical records ' "Then you won't be rattled when the review letter comes." 

From The CFIDS Chronicle review of a prior edition.

Order the Disability Workbook for Social Security Applicants ( 7th edition, Rev. March 2008), by Douglas M. Smith, $19.95 plus $4.50 shipping and handling (priority mail). ISBN 1-878140-12-4. Available as an e-book now For order on-line form, click on title above. For mail in order form press here.

Linda L. Brandenburg, Cleveland, OH, 2007 “When a neurological disorder forced me to resign after 32 years of working, I was overwhelmed, depressed and not sure what to do next. Fortunately, I had ordered this book two weeks before and had somewhere to turn. “I completed the worksheets (lots of information that Social Security needs but does not request) and followed Mr. Smith's suggestion to have a personal interview with Social Security. The employee was visibly delighted with the detail provided in the worksheets and I just received approval of my application only 2 1/2 months after applying! (Locally, according to a story in today's paper, only 25% of applications are granted the first time around and hearings take over 600 days.) I firmly believe that this book made a difference in my life.”

Name Withheld, 2006 “You need this book. You need this workbook, even if you think your disability application will be successful, and even if you have an attorney. Most importantly, it keeps you organized while you are stressed from illness, financial insecurity, and uncertainty. It provides a framework to keep you organized, especially if you have many disabling conditions which must be considered in combination, and must be presented together to SSA . . . . . . [T]he biggest advantage you get from this Workbook, is that it puts the SSA employees on your team by making it easier for them to do their jobs. You are providing them with the information they need on your case in an accessible format which is simple for them to process and evaluate. Do yourself a favor. Get the Disability Workbook . . ."

Mike Davis, author, 2006 “I wrote How to Get SSI & Social Security Disability: An Insider's Step by Step Guide and have been in touch with Doug. Little did I know there would be a time when I would need to apply for SSI for someone in my family. Doug's book is indispensable to the SSDI/SSI disability claimant. He lists the information you'll need and plenty of forms are included. He's also got some hints like "get a face-to-face" interview. It's your right. “What more can I say, I wrote a book on the subject and for additional help I turned to Doug's book immediately and it comes through with the goods. I think my book How to Get SSI and Social Security Disability still has vital and helpful information to add . . . I am an expert and I give Doug's book a full 2 thumbs up."

Major health groups have recommended Disability Workbook including: