Why Applicants Need to Keep Checking on Their Social Security Disability Status

You feel ridiculous, waiting by the phone for someone to call. You check the mailbox twice a day, but you still haven’t heard back—and now you’re starting to question whether you did something wrong. No, you’re not waiting for a date to call back; you’re waiting for the Social Security Administration to approve your benefits.

Why It’s Important to Check the Status of Your Application

As incredible as it sounds, many disability applications are forgotten about at some point along the way to approval. The Social Security Administration (SSA) handles hundreds of thousands of claims per year, so it’s not uncommon for paperwork—such as supporting medical evidence, appeals, and whole applications—to get lost in the shuffle. In some cases, claims have been fully processed, but the administrator failed to notify applicants that they had been approved (or denied).

How to Check the Status of Your Social Security Disability Application

Where and when you should check the status of your disability application depends on where you are in the process. If you filed an application for the first time or filed the first appeal, you should:

• Go online. Most applicants can begin checking the status of their cases online. In order to log in, you will need to enter your Social Security number and the confirmation number given to you by the SSA.
• Call the SSA. If your status has not changed online in quite a while, you can get more information by calling your local Social Security office. A disability claims representative can check your case status and give you a general update as to what happens next, but cannot offer you a decision. Don't bother to call SSA main number 800-772-1213 as the information they provide is frequently, I repeat frequently wrong.
• Call your examiner. If you are waiting to hear back on the status of a first-level appeal, you should attempt to speak with the disability examiner in charge of your claim. At this stage, your case will be handled by Disability Determination Services (DDS). You may ask your local Social Security office for the number of the DDS office in charge of your case. Your examiner should be able to tell you if your case is pending, if it has been denied, or if it has been sent back to SSA for final approval.
• If you are one of our clients we will monitor the status of your claim as part of our service to you.

Do you need help with a Social Security disability claim? Reach out to us at any time of the day or night using our live chat. We are standing by to help you.