There are several ways to check the status of your claim, depending on which stage your case is currently in. If one of our attorneys at the Disability Advantage Group is representing you for your disability case, you can always call 865-999-0962 and speak to your lawyer directly for the status of your claim.
Full Answer
Check the Status of Your SSDI Claim Online 1 After you log in, navigate to the My Home page. 2 Scroll down to the section called Your Benefit Applications. 3 Select View More under the heading called More Info. 4 You’ll be able to see the status of your application under the Current Status section.
Your disability examiner works at a state agency called Disability Determination Services ( DDS ), not the actual Social Security Administration (SSA). Disability examiners are typically easy to reach by phone, and you can get the telephone number for your local DDS from your local Social Security office or from our state articles.
To determine if you meet a listing, your attorney will first see if your illness has a disability listing in Social Security's "blue book." If it does, the attorney will review the requirements of the listing and compare them to the evidence in your case. (For more information, see our section on listed disabilities .)
Your legal counsel will keep you up to date on the status of your claim if you get to this point in the appeals process. Still, you can be proactive and verify that the Appeals Council has received your request for review by calling the SSA Claimant and Public Assistance Branch at 703-605-8000 or toll-free at 1-877-670-2722.
You can check the status of your application online using your personal my Social Security account. If you are unable to check your status online, you can call us 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
about 3 to 5 monthsGenerally, it takes about 3 to 5 months to get a decision. However, the exact time depends on how long it takes to get your medical records and any other evidence needed to make a decision.
Unlike private insurance companies the SSA does not generally conduct surveillance investigations, but that doesn't mean that they can't or never will. Once you file a disability claim, the SSA looks for proof of your disability.
It means they are still processing your appeal, so they are still deciding if you qualify for SSDI. If they haven't made a decision on SSI, then they are still determining if you qualify for SSI as well.
For most, this process takes three to five months, but each case is highly individual and, in some cases, it can take over a year to reach an initial decision.
Here are some more ways to speed up your disability application.Requesting an OTR Decision. ... Requesting an Attorney Advisor Decision. ... Compassionate Allowances List. ... Terminal Illnesses. ... Presumptive Disability. ... Dire Need. ... Military Service Members. ... Contacting a Member of Congress.
They will look up your name, phone number, and address. They usually already have this information, but they are checking it to make sure you are living at the address that you say you are living at. Why? So they can come to your house, drive by hour house, or sit outside your house in a car and watch you.
On the other hand, if you receive disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, the SSA won't check your bank account. Individuals qualify for SSDI based on their work history. Claimants who receive SSDI or SSI will be subject to ongoing eligibility reviews.
(2) SSA employees authorized to listen-in to or record telephone calls are permitted to annotate personal identifying information about the calls, such as a person's name, Social Security number, address and/or telephone number.
It's possible to be denied SSI but approved for SSDI. Both have the same medical requirements. They differ in technical requirements. For SSI, you need to be below an income limit while for SSDI, you need a specific number of work credits based on your age.
Your Social Security Statement (Statement) is available to view online by opening a my Social Security account. It is useful for people of all ages who want to learn about their future Social Security benefits and current earnings history.
approximately six weeksThe Social Security approval process is relatively speedy, but as it is a government program with a huge number of applicants, you can expect to wait approximately six weeks before you get your approval for benefits. Bear in mind that this timetable only applies if everything runs smoothly.
When you first contact an attorney for representation, either the attorney or a firm staff member will conduct an initial interview with you to gat...
Your attorney, or a staff member in the law firm, will request the medical records needed to win your claim and submit them to the Social Security...
It is not unusual for attorneys to wait until a month or two before a disability hearing to first speak to a client. Up to that point, your only co...
The SSA allows you to bring a witness to testify about your disability, but because witnesses can be harmful or helpful, your attorney will decide...
Your disability lawyer will determine the best way to win your case. First, your lawyer will review your denial letter from Social Security to get...
Mike, in Santee, California, asks “How do I find out the status of my Social Security Disability claim?” The status of your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case can be obtained by logging in or create a my Social Security account to check the Status of Your Application online.
You may be asked for your social security number in order to find out which examiner is assigned to your case. To get the phone number for DDS, you can contact your local social security office and they should be able to give you that number.
Checking the status of your Social Security disability claim can help speed up your case. If you've been waiting more than a couple of months for a Social Security decision, you should check the status of your claim.
If You Have a Lawyer or Representative. Disability claimants who are represented by a disability lawyer or non-lawyer Social Security disability advocate can allow their representatives to make these calls on their behalf. Your representative should periodically check the status of your case for you, both for the purpose ...
If you filed a request for a disability hearing, you may not hear anything for many months. In fact, most Social Security disability hearing offices are so backlogged with cases that it takes over a year, or more, to get an administrative law judge hearing. However, it is still worth it to check on the status of your case at least once ...
If your case is still pending, ask the examiner (politely) if there is anything you can do to help expedite your claim. If you filed a request for reconsideration and you haven't received a decision within two months of filing the reconsideration request, you should call DDS to check the status of the claim.
Once you get a notice of hearing (75 days before the hearing date), you should submit the latest medical records you have—any test results, new prescriptions, doctor's notes from clinic appointments or hospital visits, and so on.
A claims rep can usually provide a general update on your case, as to where it is in the process, but will not be able to give you much detail on when a decision will be handed down or whether there are any obstacles holding it up.
Social Security office personnel will typically have little information available as to the status of a hearing request. (Usually, if you call your Social Security field office to make a hearing status call, you will get a response similar to "We haven't heard anything.") Instead, make a status call on a hearing request to the hearing office itself.
The initial screening for whether or not a disability lawyer will take a disability claimantÂ’s SSI or SSDI case varies by disability attorney.
Although some inexperienced disability lawyers may hesitate to take a claimantÂ’s SSI or SSDI case if they have filed multiple times and been denied, it could mean that the claimant is really disabled if they are willing to fight for benefits so tenaciously.
There are some disability lawyers who do not take Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cases. There are several reasons for this but the main reason is that there is no waiting period for SSI benefits, there is no retroactive payments, and the SSI payment is based on the federal benefit rate.
Another factor the SSI or SSDI lawyer will consider prior to taking a SSI or SSDI case is the claimantÂ’s age. GRID rules were created in 1979. These rules identified how age would be considered in the disability process.
There are three main possible "theories" an attorney can use to do this. Your lawyer can: prove that your condition meets a disability "listing". prove that you "grid" out of all work (including not being able to do your past work) prove that your non-exertional limitations prevent you from working, or.
When you first contact an attorney or law firm for representation, either the attorney or a firm staff member will conduct an initial interview with you to gather the basic facts of the case. These facts are used to help determine if the firm will take your case. The interviews are usually done by phone; however, ...
The grid is a system developed by the SSA to decide if a person is able to work based on the highest exertion level of the job he or she can perform (sedentary work, light work, or medium work), along with the applicant's age and education level.
To prove you are not capable of sedentary work, your attorney will use the documented symptoms of your illness, the opinions of your treating doctors, your testimony, and any other objective medical evidence in your file to show why you can't do various sit-down jobs.
The SSA allows you to bring a witness to testify about your disability , but because witnesses can be harmful or helpful, your attorney will decide if witness testimony is necessary to win your case. Your lawyer may be interested in asking your caregivers or former employers to write letters in support of your disability.
You must answer all of your attorney's questions as honestly as you can—even if the questions are embarrassing or you feel ashamed of the answers. Otherwise, your attorney cannot represent you effectively. Remember that your attorney is not there to judge you, but to help you win your claim.
Remember that your attorney is not there to judge you, but to help you win your claim. Also, keep in mind that anything you say to your attorney is privileged. This means that your attorney can only share information with others that you want him or her to share.
In what other ways can I check the status of my disability claim? There are two additional ways you can check the status of your claim: Call the main SSA number at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; or. Contact your local Social Security office.
How long does it take for the SSA to reach a decision for a disability case? The SSA makes a decision on most Social Security Disability (SSD) claims within three or four months, although up to six months is not uncommon.
For more questions about SSD or if you are having trouble getting a decision in a timely manner, contact the Disability Advantage Group and request a free consultation with a disability lawyer today: 865-999-0962.
If you have an especially complicated claim, ask a Social Security attorney to review your application before submitting it. Lawyers often know disability secrets that apply to someone in your specific situation that you wouldn’t find anywhere online.
1. Ideally, you should have already been out of work for five months or more when you apply for SSDI.
If a sudden disability makes working obviously impossible on a short-term basis, you may be exempted from the five-month rule. The SSA will estimate how long your inability to work should last based on your medical diagnosis. If it’s one year or longer, you may still qualify for disability benefits. 2.
A doctor must medically diagnose you with a condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death. Do not apply for disability benefits until your doctor confirms that your condition meets the SSA’s internal definition of “disabled.”.
(According to the SSA, that usually means you haven’t turned 65, 66 or 67 yet, depending on your birth year.)
Disability Secrets for Getting Your SSDI Benefits Claim Approved. Getting approved for disability benefits isn’t easy, especially if your condition isn’t visibly severe or terminal. But if your disability makes you unable to work, you can apply for benefits through the federal government’s SSDI program.
If your spouse dies while getting SSDI, any of the deceased’s dependents may qualify for those benefits going forward.
When you are preparing to appeal a denial of disability benefits, you should request your case file so that you can review some key pieces of information. As you review your file, you'll want to note any inaccurate and missing information and look for mistakes made by the claims examiner or medical consultant, such as not considering all ...
Your file should also include copies of all disability applications, forms, and appeals that have been filed, as well as copies of all medical records gathered by disability examiners at Disability Determination Services (DDS). It should also contain your Social Security earnings record, any letters sent by you, your family, or your employer, ...
Your file will contain Form SSA-3369-F6: Vocational Report or other forms where you documented your work history, and your past jobs will be mentioned somewhere within the technical rationale. If DDS made inaccurate statements about your previous work history, you will need to correct it. Compare what you put on your forms against what DDS said on your denial rationale. If it's necessary to correct your file regarding your work history, you can ask your employer or coworkers to submit written information to the DDS regarding your work duties, performance, or dates worked.
If your doctor's statement makes it seem like you can do more than you actually can, explain this to your doctor and ask the doctor to write a new letter or fill out an RFC form accurately describing your limitations. Sometimes, a doctor doesn't provide information the SSA needs, even if the doctor has it.
The claimant can lift and carry 25 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally. The hearing deficit and alleged insulin reactions would preclude work around dangerous machinery or at heights. The claimant is 60 years old and has completed nine years of school, which is considered to be limited education.
Your disability file should come with an "exhibit list," which is like a table of contents for everything in your file. They allow the administrative law judge (ALJ) and you or your lawyer to be able to quickly tell what is in the file and to refer to a piece of medical evidence by its assigned number on the list.
Make sure your key medical records are in the file, from each doctor who is treating you for a serious impairment. If your medical records contain comments by your treating doctor about your disability, note what they say, whether they are clear, and whether they support or hurt your case. You or your lawyer might need to contact your treating ...
Under current Social Security Disability regulations, a disability lawyer is generally only allowed to charge 25% of a claimantÂ’s back pay up to $6,000. In fact, prior to receiving payment, the SSA must approve the fee agreement, which allows the SSA to send a portion of your back pay directly to the lawyer before you are paid.
Specifically, the cost of requesting medical records, paying for a vocation expert, telephone calls, travel costs, or fees to see a medical doctor or obtain a statement from them.
There may be several reasons. To find out for sure you need to review your fee agreement. In some cases, claimants have signed a two-tier agreement, which is still a contingency fee agreement, but allows the disability lawyer to charge additional fees for expenses.
During the course of representation, a disability attorney or nonlawyer advocate usually has to request a claimant's medical, school, work records, and occasionally medical or psychological examinations; these can be expensive. The client must pay these costs separately from the attorney's fee (of 25% of their backpay).
Social Security Disability attorneys and advocates work "on contingency," meaning they get paid only if you win your case. Unlike many attorneys, disability lawyers do not charge up-front fees or require a retainer to work on a Social Security disability case. Most disability attorneys and nonlawyer representatives will be paid a fee only ...