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If you're like tens of thousands of other disability applicants, after you have applied for disability benefits (either SSDI, which stands for social security disability or SSI, which stands for supplemental security income) you'll probably wonder to yourself, "what happens next?". By any measure, it's a reasonable, and important question. And in too many disability cases, it's a question that goes unanswered or, at best, receives an answer (from the social security office) that seems enveloped in a hazy cloud. Social security offices and the individuals who work in them are not exactly esteemed in their ability to provide useful information for the citizens they serve. In fact, in far too many SSI and social security disability cases, they provide information that is misleading or wholly incorrect (here's a warning and a tip: never call the social security administration's 800 number for a status update---the individuals who answer the phones there have no expertise with disability cases and they regularly give out information that is bizarrely inaccurate). Why does social security fail to provide the information that is needed by disability claimants? There are probably a number of reasons that contribute to the situation, but there is one overriding reality about the social security disability system that may contribute more than any other: the degree of compartmentalization that exists in the SSA disability system. 
The best example, of course, is the fact that claims reps, the people who take disability claims at the social security office, do not handle the actual medical evaluation on an SSDI or SSI case. They simply take the application and then later forward the file to a disability examiner (based at DDS, or disability determination services) who will gather the claimant's medical records and, then, in conjunction with a supervisor, medical consultant (an MD), and a psychological consultant (usually a Ph.D.) will render an approval or denial. What this consequently means is that the individuals who take disability applications know very little about the disability process itself; that is, how a disability claim is evaluated and decided. And without a doubt, this contributes to the inability of claims reps to pass along to claimants the information they actually need. So, what information does a disability applicant who has filed for SSI or social security disability need? Well, as the title of this page would suggest, a person who has applied for disability needs to know what will happen next in the determination process. Why is this important? Because knowing what will happen next, in some degree of detail, will allow a claimant to anticipate events and perhaps also will allow room to plan more efficiently. Therefore, for this purpose, here's a quick rundown of the process. After a claimant has applied for disability benefits at their social security office, their file will be sent to the agency in their state that handles disability determinations for SSA. In most states (but not all), this is known as DDS, or disability determination services. At DDS, the file will be assigned to a specialist, or disability examiner, who will (typically on the day they receive the file) order a claimant's medical records from every doctor and hospital listed on the disability application. After these medical record requests have been generated and mailed, the file will go into a filing cabinet or onto a shelf where it will wait until a claimant's records begin to come in. Other areas of case development are addressed, of course, such as ADL's (a disability examiner may make a call to a claimant or someone the claimant knows to discuss the claimant's activities of daily living, or ADLs). But, generally speaking, the major development on a disability claim will occur with respect to a claimant's records.
As a disability applicant's records begin to arrive, the disability examiner will begin to evaluate the records and get a feel for where the case is headed. Not only will the examiner begin to see evidence of the various impairments that exist in the records, the examiner will also be in a position to ascertain whether a decision can be made at the moment or if the case decision will require waiting for additional records to be received. In many instances, even after all of the claimant's records have been received, it will be necessary to send the claimant to a consultative medical exam, scheduled and paid for by social security, to obtain additional medical information (it should be noted that these exams usually serve very little purpose other than supplying the disability examiner with a current snapshot of the claimant's general condition and functioning). And if a CE (consultative examination) is required, typically a decision can be made on a claim within 2-3 weeks of the CE report being received by the disability examiner. If a CE was not necessary to decide the claim, the decision would simply follow shortly after all of a claimant's medical records have been recieved. Of course, shortly after a decision has been made a claimant will receive a mailed notice informing them of an approval or denial. For information regarding what to do if a disability case is denied, as well as information on the disability appeals process, disability representation, and disability hearings, you may wish to read the following pages. Disability denied Disability denied - what to do next How to start an appeal for social security disability or ssi disability When to contact a social security disability lawyer or attorney Social Security Disability Hearing information Questions about disability attorney representation Tips for working with a disability attorney or social security lawyer Disability Lawyer Help on disability Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY LAWYERS, SOCIAL SECURITY ATTORNEYS HOW TO APPLY FOR DISABILITY USING AN ATTORNEY FOR A DISABILITY APPEAL |
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If you suffer from a medical disability such as hip, neck, shoulder, ankle, wrist, back, or other joint problems, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rsi or repetetive stress injury, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, dysthymia, depression or other mood disorders, congestive or chronic heart failure, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, high blood pressure (hypertension), seizure disorder, stroke, copd, emphysema, hearing loss or poor hearing, statutory blindness, peripheral field problems or other vision loss, clinical obesity, attention deficit hyperactivity or, simply, adhd, bipolar disorder or manic depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, autism, head trauma, memory loss, low iq, mental retardation, learning disability, epilepsy, cancer, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, lupus, anxiety, inner ear problems, meniere's, vertigo or dizziness, kidney failure requiring dialysis or other renal problems, cirrhosis, hepatitis, or other liver disease, pancreatitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, rsd or reflex sympathetic dystrophy, crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, peripheral vascular disease, lyme disease, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hiv, aids, anemia, sickle cell, thyroid problems including hypothyroidism, esrd or end stage renal disease, reflux, gerd (gastroesophageal reflux disease), cfids, muscular dystrophy, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, or tachycardia, bradycardia or other arrhythmia and have initiated or been denied on a social security disability, or ssi, claim for benefits, this site may assist you with your case. Social Security Disability benefits are often difficult to win; however many claims for social security disability are lost simply because a claimant did not know enough about the disability process to their social security or ssi claim. For information re: representation on a social security disability or ssi claim (attorney or non attorney representative), see the "questions" & "how" pages. |
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