How to Apply for Disability in Arizona. What to file, and what to have ready.

When to apply

Apply as soon as you know you will not be returning to work. That includes anyone already receiving private long-term disability benefits. Waiting costs you: SSDI back pay reaches back no more than 12 months before your application date, and SSI pays nothing for the time before you apply.

To qualify, your condition must prevent substantial work for at least 12 months. In 2026, substantial work means earning more than $1,690 a month. In 2027 the figure is $1,770.

Three ways to file

1. Online at ssa.gov. This is the fastest way to start an SSDI claim.
2. By phone at 1-800-772-1213.
3. In person at a Social Security field office. Call first for an appointment.

What to have ready

• Names, addresses, and phone numbers of every doctor, clinic, and hospital that has treated you, with approximate dates.
• Your medications and who prescribed them.
• Your jobs for the last five years, with the physical demands of each.
• The date you stopped working and why.
• Bank information for direct deposit.

The forms that follow

After you file, expect questionnaires about your daily activities and your past work. Answer them completely and return them on time. Describe a normal day and a bad day honestly. Short or late answers are a common reason claims are denied.

You may also be sent to a consultative examination with a doctor Social Security chooses. Go to it. A missed exam can end the claim.

Who decides

Your local field office checks the non-medical rules: work credits for SSDI, income and resources for SSI. Your file then goes to Arizona’s Disability Determination Services, a state agency that gathers your records and makes the medical decision for Social Security.

Mistakes that lead to denials

• Leaving out a doctor, so the records never get requested.
• Stopping treatment while the claim is pending.
• Describing only your diagnosis, not what you can no longer do.
• Working over the monthly earnings limit after your claimed onset date.
• Missing the 60-day deadline to appeal a denial.

Ask your doctor to complete one of our free medical source statement forms. It records your work limits in the terms Social Security uses.

If you are denied

Most initial applications are denied. A denial is not the end. You have 60 days to appeal. See what to do after a denial in Arizona and the appeals process.

When to call a lawyer

We will consider a case once you have been out of work about six months. If you have been denied, or you have a hearing scheduled, call now. Read more about SSDI and SSI claims in Arizona.

J Disability Law Firm, PLLC · Joseph J. Duerst, Attorney · 18444 N. 25th Ave, Suite 420, Phoenix, AZ 85023 · (602) 607-0000. This page is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different. Past results do not predict the outcome of your case.