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After a claimant files for social security disability (SSD) or SSI benefits, he or she must participate in an initial social security disability interview. The interview itself can be conducted in person at your local social security office or over the phone, and normally takes about an hour provided you have prepared in advance by gathering your past work and medical histories. The important thing to remember about the interview is that it is basically a fact-finding process, and no decision regarding your claim is made at this time. A claims representative (CR) from the social security office will conduct the disability interview, and ask you a series of questions, such as where you have worked in the past 15 years, and what duties you performed for each job; the nature of your medical condition and what medical treatment you have received for your disability in the past twelve months, etc. The CR will also want to know non-medical information, such as your marital status, number of children, past military service, and if you are receiving or have received worker’s compensation for your injury(s). You can help your initial interview go smoothly by being prepared with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all places (including hospitals or emergency treatment) at which you have received medical care for your disability within the past twelve months. Likewise, you should have the contact information available for all past employment supervisors, including addresses and phone numbers. It helps to write all of this down so you have it right in front of you during the interview. Social security should send you a form to fill out beforehand, but if you do not receive it in time, write it out on a sheet of paper in a clear, organized fashion. This will allow the CR to process your information more quickly, so that it can be forwarded to the state agency that makes disability claims decisions, commonly called disability determination services (DDS), although the name varies from state to state. After your claim is sent to the state disability agency, your case is assigned to a disability examiner, a specialist who contacts the physicians you have provided and requests your medical records. It is important to provide solid information in your medical history, because the examiner will use these medical records to determine if your disability claim will be approved or denied. Under normal circumstances a decision on a claim takes an average of four months to receive; however, if you have not provided the necessary information up front, the claim could take as long as it takes for the disability to gather the medical evidence. To avoid unnecessary delays in your case, you should prepare for your interview by gathering all the evidence you can before meeting (in person or over the phone) with the social security claims representative. Not doing so could make the road to disability benefits longer and more difficult in the future, particularly if your case is denied and you are required to file a request for reconsideration, or seek a hearing before an administrative judge. Your initial interview is important, not because it will determine if you will be awarded benefits, but because it sets the stage for all that will follow. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
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