How to Check the Status of a Social Security Disability Claim
The United States government may take several months to make a decision about your Disability claim. What happens if you have questions about your Social Security Disability status during that time? In order to be proactive and track your Social Security Disability application status as your claim moves through the system, you’ll need to understand why and how to do it.
Why Should You Check on the Status of Your Disability Application?
There are several reasons why you should check on your application status. These include:
- By contacting the claims examiner for your case at the Disability Determination Service, you bring your application to their attention and may even speed up the review process.
- You may find that the Social Security Administration fails to notify you about a denial of your claim. This is important because you only have 65 days from the denial date in which to file an appeal. If you don’t know that your claim was denied, you may miss the appeal date.
- It is possible for paperwork to get lost. This can halt the progress of your case and in extreme circumstances, require you to reapply. This happens when the SSA determines that you missed the appeal date, even if the fault was their own.
How Should You Check on the Status of Your Disability Application?
In order to check the status of your Disability status, you can:
- Speak with the examiner who has been assigned to review your case. You’ll usually find them in the Disability Determination Services Division (DDSD).
- Check your claim status on the Social Security Website. You can go to SSA.gov to check your Social Security Disability status online.
- Call your local SSA office to speak with a disability claims representative.
- Contact a Social Security Disability attorney. Your lawyer can call the DDS or SSA on your behalf to get you the pertinent information.
The best way to get the information you need is for you or your attorney to call DDSD directly. When you contact them, let them know that you are checking on the status of your application. They should be able to tell you whether a decision has been made or if your case is still pending. Never go into details that may hurt your case. Instead, just limit your conversation to the status of your case.
Claim decisions may just be another piece of the workday for the examiner assigned to your case, but we know that waiting for an answer can be stressful for you. If you handle the claim yourself, make a written note to check back 30 days after filing. You don’t want to forget to follow up.
Working with a lawyer can relieve some of your stress as you can trust them to stay on top of your case. Experienced Disability attorneys keep communication lines open with disability examiners and will make sure you stay up to date on the status of your case. And that’s just the beginning. If you want to know what a Disability lawyer can do for you, call the Disability Help Center today at 1-888-418-8860 for a free initial consultation.