Five things you can do to help speed up your Social Security Disability claim

As an attorney who handles Social Security Disability cases, I know how slow the Social Security Administration is in ruling on Disability claims.

Now, a recent article in the Baltimore Sun dated June 3, 2014, “Area SSA disability backlog is growing” by John Fritze, says that the delay for a hearing in front of a Baltimore Judge is one of the longest in the country.  Click HERE to read the Baltimore Sun article.

If your case is not won at the first two levels, then it has to go to a hearing in front of a Social Security Administrative Judge, often called an “ALJ”  The appeal alone to an ALJ is taking an average of 17 months.  That is the third slowest office in the United States.  And that is in addition to the year to eighteen months already that a Claimant has to get to the Appeals level.

So, here are five things that you can do to move your case along a little faster:

1.  Bring Social Security as many of your medical records as you an get.  This saves the time of Social Security having to find your records;

2.  When you get forms to fill out from Social Security, fill them out if you understand them and get them back to Social Security immediately.  However, if you do not understand or cannot read the language in the forms, do not guess.  Just put down that you do not understand the question or find an attorney that can help you;

3.  Keep all of your doctor appointments and make sure to get the treatment you need so that you can have a clear record of your medical problems;

4.  Visit your local Social Security District Office every couple of months to be sure that they are working on your case.  It is not enough to call Social Security’s toll free number because the people answering the phones for Social Security do not always have the latest information; and

5.  If you are facing foreclosure or eviction, or similar emergency, bring this paperwork down to a Social Security office and contact your Congressman or U.S. Senator.

As always, you can call me with any questions.  Remember, know your rights because information is power.