How to Get Updates on Your Social Security Disability Claim

Have you been waiting months for a decision on your Social Security Disability claim with no update? Here’s what you can do to check your status.

You have a few options to get an update on your claim. First, you can contact your local Social Security branch either by phone or in-person and ask to discuss it with a disability claims representative. You can also do this online, but you must have your confirmation details provided by the SSA to get any information.

While the above two options are pretty easy to manage, they will not be able to give you an exact timetable as to when your case will be decided. If there are factors slowing down your case, these methods also won’t be able to reveal them. They basically can only tell you which stage you’ve reached in the process. But there are some better alternatives available.

If this is your initial application, or if your claim has been denied and you’re currently filing your first appeal, contacting your specific disability examiner with the Disability Determination Services in your state can be much more advantageous. This is a separate entity from the SSA, but your local office can give you contact information for the DDS in your state. If you decide to go this route, politely inform the person who answers the phone that you’d like to know the status of your claim. It’s okay to give your Social Security Number to this person so he or she can access the details of your claim and connect you with the right person.

Please note that you should only contact the DDS if it’s been a few months since you’ve heard anything about your case. You should also know that they can’t give you any details in the event that your case has already been decided.

If you have appealed your claim and are currently awaiting a hearing to be scheduled with an administrative law judge, or if your hearing has already taken place, the DDS will not have any details about your case. At this point, you should contact the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (formerly known as the Office of Hearings and Appeals). You can learn how to reach the one in your area by clicking here.

Having an experienced Charlotte Social Security Disability Attorney on your side can save you from making these calls yourself and help keep you informed through every step of the process. You can be confident that every base is covered and deadlines won’t be missed.

The staff of Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, can help you build a strong case for benefits with their proven experience and expert research team on your side. You can call us toll-free at 1.877.526.3457 or send us an e-mail for a prompt response.