Noteboom The Law Firm

Know Who to Call for Updates on Your Disability Case

If you have applied for Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income and have not received any response back yet, experiencing some anxiety is understandable. Wait times can be anywhere from a few months to about a year, and if you are out of a job, you are likely wondering how you will get by if you do not get benefits soon.

The first place you might think to call is the local Social Security office, since they might be able to tell you what is going on with your application. However, officials at most SSA offices have a limited amount of knowledge on each case. They are currently overworked, and the response you will probably get is that they do not know yet what is going on with your case.

They might tell you that they will call when they do know, but don't count on it. In many cases, claims are held up because the Disability Determination Services office has not yet finished making a decision.

DDS is the office that performs the medical evaluation to decide if you will receive benefits. Your file must go through this agency at some point in the process, and though it is not guaranteed that your file is currently with them, calling cannot hurt.

You can usually get the number to DDS from your local Social Security office. If the local office does not know what is going on with your case, ask for the DDS number. You will need to speak to the DDS Examiner for the update. If he or she is not familiar with your case, it is possible that your file is either not yet at their office, or has already been processed and is in the next step. Officials at the DDS should be able to tell you either way.

Obviously this is quite a convoluted method to get a status update, but it is one of the ways known to work. Of course, you should also call your lawyer first to find out if he or she has any additional information about your case.

If you or your loved one are suffering from a severe physical or mental disability, you should contact a Social Security Disability lawyer immediately to learn about your rights and determine eligibility. The process of securing Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can be difficult and overwhelming. Don't go it alone! The disability lawyers at LaVan & Neidenberg, located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL understand the inner workings of the Social Security Administration and will help you navigate the system. Call us today for a FREE legal consultation - 1-888-234-5758.