Contact Social Security About Your Disability Claim
If you have filed a claim for social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI), you have probably experienced, at least once or twice, difficulty getting through to your local social security office by phone.
Current backlogs in the disability system are putting some stress on the social security disability system at both federal and state levels. What does this mean to you as a claimant? It means that you must be prepared to advocate for yourself as much as possible to ensure that your case does not get lost in the sea of applications.
To give yourself a possible advantage in the disability determination process, if you need to report information or would like to learn something about the status of your claim, you may wish to go down to your local social security administration (SSA) office to meet with the CR (claims rep) who took your application, or to the state disability determination services (DDS) to speak with the disability examiner who is doing the medical decision processing for your claim.
Ideally, you should call first to schedule an appointment, and then show up to meet your claims representative or disability examiner in person. Be prepared with any questions or problems with which you may need help—you’ll not only save yourself the time and frustration spent trying to contact your examiner or claims rep by phone, but you’ll also ensure that the individuals working on your case can put a human face to the case that has your name on it.
If your case has already been turned down twice by DDS and you have filed a disability hearing request, be sure to contact the hearing office for an update (it’s best to have legal representation at this point, though, in which case your lawyer or non-attorney rep will contact the hearing office for you and give you a status report).
Of course, you shouldn’t have to do any of this, right? You probably have a lot to deal with already, given your disability and the limitations it is placing on your daily activities. However, keep in mind that it is you, the claimant, not the claims representative, disability examiner, or even the disability attorney, who has the most to lose if something goes wrong in your case.
If you have filed for disability, it’s important for you to keep in contact with the people involved in your claim and to be regularly informed of its status. This will help to ensure that you comply with any and all deadlines that must be met, and missing a deadline for an appeal or return of forms could result in an automatic denial of your disability claim, regardless of who was at fault in the matter.
Return to:
Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Requirements
Other Pages
SSA criteria and disability qualifications
How to apply for disability with SSA
Disability Requirements and filing as soon as you are eligible
Current backlogs in the disability system are putting some stress on the social security disability system at both federal and state levels. What does this mean to you as a claimant? It means that you must be prepared to advocate for yourself as much as possible to ensure that your case does not get lost in the sea of applications.
To give yourself a possible advantage in the disability determination process, if you need to report information or would like to learn something about the status of your claim, you may wish to go down to your local social security administration (SSA) office to meet with the CR (claims rep) who took your application, or to the state disability determination services (DDS) to speak with the disability examiner who is doing the medical decision processing for your claim.
Ideally, you should call first to schedule an appointment, and then show up to meet your claims representative or disability examiner in person. Be prepared with any questions or problems with which you may need help—you’ll not only save yourself the time and frustration spent trying to contact your examiner or claims rep by phone, but you’ll also ensure that the individuals working on your case can put a human face to the case that has your name on it.
If your case has already been turned down twice by DDS and you have filed a disability hearing request, be sure to contact the hearing office for an update (it’s best to have legal representation at this point, though, in which case your lawyer or non-attorney rep will contact the hearing office for you and give you a status report).
Of course, you shouldn’t have to do any of this, right? You probably have a lot to deal with already, given your disability and the limitations it is placing on your daily activities. However, keep in mind that it is you, the claimant, not the claims representative, disability examiner, or even the disability attorney, who has the most to lose if something goes wrong in your case.
If you have filed for disability, it’s important for you to keep in contact with the people involved in your claim and to be regularly informed of its status. This will help to ensure that you comply with any and all deadlines that must be met, and missing a deadline for an appeal or return of forms could result in an automatic denial of your disability claim, regardless of who was at fault in the matter.
Return to:
Other Pages
SSA criteria and disability qualifications
How to apply for disability with SSA
Disability Requirements and filing as soon as you are eligible
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