The Disability Application Process - The Five Stages

Are you unable to work due to an illness or injury that causes you significant mental or physical impairment? If so, you should consider filing for Social Security disability. But, you may wonder, what’s the first step you need to take to apply for disability? We have the answers.

First Things First

If you feel you likely qualify medically for disability benefits, then you’ll want to apply for benefits. But, applying for benefits really involves more than just the application process.

Many medical conditions can prevent you from working and earning a substantial income. The conditions can be incapacitating and range from mental to physical disabilities.

There’s a very good chance that the condition that causes your disability can help you qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Applying for benefits can give you the financial help you need. If your disability prevents you from applying yourself, a caregiver can help you with the application process.

If you’re disabled due to an injury or illness, chances are your financial stability has suffered. Medical expenses combined with the cost of living can be devastating, particularly if you’re unable to work.

The Social Security Administration has disability programs in place to help you if you qualify. These programs can offer financial support when you really need it. You’ll need to complete the necessary forms and documentation when applying for disability.

What work can you do (the less you can do the higher your approval odds) how does your illness affect your working ability (if you can't do the work you've done before or have experience in, you could qualify), are you receiving any treatments (should focus on how treatments haven't helped when asked this).

Social Security Disability applications take time to be processed and must pass through various screening processes before a decision on the disability claim is made. Checking your Social Security application status is an easy way to stay on top of your Social Security application to make sure there is no missing information slowing down your Social Security disability application.

Every review stage of the Social Security Disability (SSD) application and appeals process has different guidelines for checking the status of a claim. Each step is governed by a different entity as well, which can make it difficult to know just what to do. The following steps help you understand the process and whom you should contact for updates.

Step One – Initial Application

An On-the-Record (OTR) decision is a favorable ruling that is made by an administrative law judge prior to an actual disability hearing.

The decision is made by the administrative law judge based only on the written medical information. Skipping the wait for an appeal hearing may speed up the process. You must, however, have substantial medical evidence proving the extent of your disability for this approach to be successful.

How do I submit new medical evidence if there is a change in my condition?

Any time there is a change in your medical condition—whether you have just submitted your Social Security disability application or have already been approved for benefits, you are required to keep the Social Security Administration (SSA) informed. You will need to submit any new medical records to the SSA.

What is a Congressional Inquiry?

A congressional inquiry is a “status check” of your disability claim conducted by your local senator or representative on your behalf. While requesting a congressional inquiry does not automatically guarantee that your claim will be revised or addressed any sooner, it won’t negatively affect your disability application.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been one of the government agencies that have openly embraced technology. From online Social Security Disability applications to video disability hearings, the SSA has been successful in implementing a number of technology advances in order to streamline their processes. Many Social Security Disability applicants wonder exactly what happens at a disability hearing, and many more wonder what happens at a video disability hearing and how different a video disability hearing is from a traditional disability hearing.