Don’t Let These Social Security Disability Myths Cost You in Utah

If you’ve spent any time on social media, watched certain news programs or talked with friends and family about Social Security Disability benefits, you’ve probably heard plenty of opinions about how the system works.

Be careful. Many of the opinions you hear are based on myths, half-truths or outdated information.

Letting other people’s comments sway you too much could mean you miss out on crucial financial assistance that you are entitled to receive.

At Barnes Disability Advocates, our Utah disability lawyers regularly meet people who delay filing for benefits, give up after a denial or develop unrealistic expectations because of misinformation.

Let’s separate fact from fiction and address some of the most common Social Security Disability myths—so you can take positive steps toward a more secure future when you can’t work because of health setbacks.

8 Social Security Disability Myths That Just Confuse and Distract

Myth #1: I have a diagnosis, so that should qualify me for disability.

The Reality: A diagnosis alone is not enough to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.

Many people have serious medical diagnoses and continue working. But to win disability benefits, you must be unable to work. Social Security does not award benefits simply because a doctor gave a condition a name.

The critical question is:

How does the condition affect your ability to function and work?

Two individuals with the same diagnosis can have dramatically different outcomes on their disability claims.

One person with degenerative disc disease may continue working full time, while another may be unable to sit, stand or walk consistently enough to maintain employment.

Medical records, treatment history, objective findings, symptoms, functional limitations and vocational factors all play a role in determining eligibility.

Myth #2: Everyone gets denied the first time.

The Reality: Many people are denied initially, but not everyone.

This myth likely started because initial denial rates are high. However, it is absolutely false that everyone receives an initial denial.

Many claimants are approved at the initial application. Others require more steps, getting approved on reconsideration of a denial, during a hearing before an administrative law judge or after further appeals.

Every case is different. Factors that can strengthen a claim include:

• Your age
• Your work history
• Getting consistent medical treatment
• Having strong medical evidence
• Having supportive treating providers
• Providing clear documentation of work-related limitations
• Showing long-term impairment expected to last at least 12 months

A denial is not the end of the road, but approval is certainly possible from the very beginning.

Myth #3: If I can do some activities, I can’t get disability.

The Reality: A disability as Social Security sees it is not the same thing as being bedridden.

Many claimants worry that because they can drive, shop for groceries, attend church, care for a pet or occasionally visit family, Social Security will automatically deny their claim.

The question is not whether you can perform any activity.

The question is whether you can perform work activities consistently, eight hours a day, five days a week.

A person may be able to complete some daily activities while still being incapable of maintaining competitive employment because of pain, fatigue, cognitive limitations, psychological symptoms or the need for frequent breaks and absences.

The standard of whether you can work for a living is different from the standard of whether you can do some everyday tasks.

Myth #4: I was approved for Medicaid or food stamps, so Social Security Disability will approve me, too.

The Reality: These programs have completely different eligibility rules.

Medicaid health coverage and SNAP (food stamps) primarily focus on financial eligibility and, in some cases, disability standards that differ from Social Security’s rules.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) require proof that a medical condition prevents you from performing substantial work activity for at least 12 consecutive months, or your condition is a terminal disease.

Being approved for Medicaid or food assistance shows financial need, but it does not prove disability under Social Security’s regulations.

Myth #5: I’m 100% disabled through the VA, so Social Security Disability has to approve me.

The Reality: A VA disability rating does not guarantee Social Security Disability approval.

Veterans often assume that a 100% VA disability rating automatically translates into Social Security Disability benefits. While Social Security is required to consider VA records and decisions, the two agencies use different rules and standards.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates service-connected disabilities from your time in the armed forces and assigns ratings based on severity.

Social Security asks a different question: Can you perform substantial gainful work activity on a sustained basis?

A military veteran may have a 100% VA disability rating and still be denied Social Security benefits. Likewise, some veterans with lower VA ratings may qualify for Social Security Disability.

The good news is that strong VA medical evidence can help in building a strong Social Security Disability claim.

Myth #6: Only drug addicts get approved for disability.

The Reality: Substance abuse alone cannot be the basis for disability benefits. In fact, drug abuse can make it harder to win benefits.

The myth that Social Security Disability benefits typically go to drug addicts is particularly frustrating because it is the opposite of how the law works.

Social Security must consider whether drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor to the disability that a person is claiming. In simple terms, Social Security asks whether the person would still have a disability if the substance abuse stopped.

If the answer is that their health impairments would no longer keep them from working without the drug use, they may be denied benefits.

Substance abuse issues often make disability cases more difficult to prove because an applicant has to overcome the idea that they would get better and be able to work if they just stopped using—so they don’t need benefits.

Myth #7: Illegal immigrants get disability benefits easily.

The Reality: Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.

To receive SSDI, a person must have paid into Social Security through working and paying taxes. You must have worked and paid taxes enough to get a qualifying number of “work credits” under Social Security rules.

And you must meet strict citizenship or qualified non-citizen rules.

Social Security verifies identity, work history, earnings, immigration status and medical records before approving benefits. These benefits are not handed out easily to anyone.

Bottom line: A person must be medically disabled and legally in the country under Social Security’s rules.

Myth #8: Tons of people receive disability benefits who don’t deserve it.

The Reality: Cases of fraud get a lot of attention. But they represent only a tiny, almost microscopic sliver of disability claims.

In a report to Congress from the Social Security Administration (SSA), 231 people were criminally indicted for SSA fraud between October 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

During that same period 300 people were in the process of prosecution or conviction proceedings (according to an Office of Inspector General Report in Spring 2025).

Does that sound like a lot of cheaters?

About 7.2 million workers received disability benefits at the time of those fraud cases, according to Social Security numbers from 2025.

That means people accused of fraud—531 total—accounted for 0.0074% of everyone who received disability benefits.

That’s hard to picture. Basically, if you sold out Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, about four people in the crowd would represent fraud cases in disability.

Stories about fraud make headlines because they are highly unusual. They are dramatic. They attract astonishment and outrage. But the reality is that you are much more likely to deserve disability and be denied benefits than you are to be approved for benefits and not deserve them. That’s the way the system is built.

Meanwhile, the extensive safeguards built into the disability system don’t get much attention.

They are complicated, boring and a routine part of everyday life. Not news.

Before Social Security awards benefits, disability examiners, medical consultants, vocational experts and sometimes administrative law judges review the claims.

Social Security collects and analyzes medical records and work histories. It checks for consistency in the information you provide throughout your claim.

The overwhelming majority of people seeking disability benefits are not trying to game the system.

They are individuals struggling with serious medical conditions, the inability to maintain full-time employment and extreme financial stress.

Fraud can happen and should be investigated when it does.

But the real picture of someone seeking disability benefits is a person who worked hard, earned coverage through years of Social Security contributions, now faces one of the biggest setbacks of their life with the loss of good health and deserves financial relief.

Avoid Getting Misled by Social Security Disability Myths

Misinformation about Social Security Disability benefits is everywhere.

Believing these myths can lead people to delay filing, abandon valid claims, develop unrealistic expectations about the process—or even just feel bad about seeking help when you absolutely need, deserve and have earned the help.

Every disability claim is unique. Strong claims are built on solid medical evidence, consistent treatment, credible testimony and a clear understanding of how a condition affects a person’s ability to work.

When it comes to Social Security Disability, don’t rely on social media rumors, sensational news stories or what you heard happened to a friend, neighbor or cousin.

Get information from experienced professionals and focus on the facts of your specific case.

The Utah Social Security Disability lawyers at Barnes Disability Advocates work with this system every day. We can guide you through it the right way and keep you well informed. We believe that EVERYONE MATTERS.

Disability cases are won with evidence, not myths.

Contact Barnes Disability Advocates in Utah.

 

Sources: Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Semiannual Report to Congress. Spring 2025. ssa-oig-semiannual-report-to-congress-spring-2025.pdf

Social Security Administration. Fact Sheet. 2025. basicfact-alt.pdf.