You submitted your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application.
Now what?
For many people, this is when the uncertainty really begins. You may know that Social Security is reviewing your claim, but you may not know who is reviewing it, what information they need, how long the process will take, or what you’re supposed to do while you wait.
Understanding what happens after you apply for social security disability can make the process a little less confusing and help you avoid common mistakes along the way.
Here’s what you can generally expect after your SSDI application is submitted.
Social Security Disability Application Process Explained
1. Social Security Reviews Your Application
After you apply for SSDI, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews your application to determine whether you meet the basic non-medical requirements for benefits.
This can include reviewing information related to your work history, earnings, age, and Social Security coverage.
If your application meets the applicable non-medical requirements, SSA sends the claim to your state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS) for the medical portion of the disability determination.
In other words: You don’t go straight from ‘application submitted’ to ‘approved or denied.’ There are several steps in between.
2. Your Claim Is Sent to Disability Determination Services
Disability Determination Services, commonly called DDS, is a state agency that works with Social Security to make the initial determination about whether you meet Social Security’s definition of disability.
DDS reviews the medical and other evidence in your claim.
This can include information about:
- Your medical conditions
- When your conditions began
- Your symptoms and limitations
- Medical tests and examination findings
- Treatment you have received
- How your conditions affect your ability to function
- Your ability to perform work-related activities
Your doctors do not make the final decision about whether you qualify for SSDI. Instead, DDS considers the evidence in your claim and makes the disability determination under Social Security’s rules.
3. DDS Develops the Medical Evidence
This is one of the most important parts of the process, and understanding how much medical evidence you need to win a disability claim can help you focus on records that truly matter.
DDS will generally try to obtain medical evidence from the healthcare providers and facilities you identify in your application.
That may include records from:
- Doctors
- Specialists
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Therapists
- Mental health providers
- Other medical sources
SSA explains that medical evidence is central to the disability determination process. Claimants are responsible for providing information about evidence relevant to their disability, while SSA and DDS may help obtain records from medical sources with the claimant’s authorization.
This is why it is important to provide accurate and complete information about your treatment history.
What if you have more recent medical evidence?
Your responsibility to provide relevant evidence does not necessarily end when you submit the application.
If you begin seeing a new provider, receive a new diagnosis, undergo testing, or have other relevant medical evidence develop while your claim is pending, that information may be important to your claim.
Don’t assume that because you listed a doctor on your application, every piece of evidence from that provider has automatically made its way into your file.
Keeping track of your treatment and responding to requests for information can help keep your claim moving.
4. You May Be Asked to Complete Additional Forms
After applying, Social Security or DDS may ask you to provide additional information about your condition and how it impacts your daily activities and ability to work.
You may receive forms asking about things such as:
- Your daily activities
- Your symptoms
- Your ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, carry, or perform other physical activities
- Your ability to concentrate, remember, follow instructions, or interact with others
- Your medications and treatment
- Your work history
- How your condition has changed over time
These forms may seem straightforward, but they can be an important part of explaining how your condition affects your ability to function.
Be specific.
For example, saying:
“I have trouble walking.”
doesn’t provide nearly as much information as explaining:
“I can walk for approximately 10 minutes before my back pain becomes severe enough that I need to sit down.”
The goal isn’t to make your symptoms sound worse than they are, but to accurately explain what you experience and how your conditions affect your everyday functioning.
5. You May Be Scheduled for a Consultative Examination
Sometimes DDS does not have enough medical information to make a determination.
When that happens, DDS may schedule a consultative examination (CE).
A consultative examination is an exam or testing arranged by DDS to obtain additional information needed to evaluate your claim.
The exam may be performed by a medical professional who has been asked to evaluate specific aspects of your condition.
A consultative examination is not the same as ongoing treatment.
The person performing the examination may not be your regular doctor, and the purpose of the examination is to provide information for the disability determination.
If DDS schedules you for a consultative examination, take the appointment seriously.
Show up. Be honest. Answer the questions you are asked. Describe your symptoms and limitations accurately.
If you cannot attend the appointment, contact the appropriate party as soon as possible rather than simply missing it.
6. DDS Makes an Initial Disability Determination
Once DDS has gathered the available evidence it needs, it evaluates the claim under Social Security’s disability rules.
This is where the evidence you provided – and the evidence DDS has obtained – comes together.
DDS considers the medical evidence along with other relevant information to determine whether you meet Social Security’s definition of disability.
This is important because having a diagnosis does not automatically mean you qualify for SSDI.
Social Security is ultimately concerned with how your medically determinable impairments affect your ability to function and perform work-related activities.
Your diagnosis, your symptoms, and your treatment all matter, as well as the limitations those conditions create.
7. You Receive a Decision
After DDS completes its determination, the claim is returned to the Social Security field office for the appropriate action.
From there, you’ll receive a decision.
There are two basic possibilities:
Your claim is approved.
If Social Security determines that you meet the requirements for disability benefits, the agency will complete the remaining steps necessary to begin paying benefits.
Your claim is denied.
If Social Security determines that you do not meet the requirements for disability benefits, you may have the right to appeal the decision.
This is where one of the biggest SSDI misconceptions comes in:
A denial does not necessarily mean your disability claim is over.
What Should You Do While Waiting for a Decision?
Waiting for a disability decision can be frustrating, but there are things you can do while your claim is being reviewed.
Continue appropriate medical treatment.
Your ongoing treatment can provide important information about your condition, symptoms, response to treatment, and limitations.
Keep track of your medical care.
Keep a record of new providers, appointments, testing, diagnoses, medications, or other significant changes.
Respond to Social Security requests.
If SSA or DDS sends you a form or requests information, don’t ignore it.
Read the instructions carefully and respond by the requested deadline.
Keep your contact information current.
Make sure Social Security can reach you if it needs additional information or needs to schedule an appointment.
Be honest and consistent.
Your application, medical records, forms, examinations, and other evidence should provide an accurate picture of your condition and limitations. You don’t need to make your condition sound worse – you do need to explain how it actually affects your ability to function.
Social Security Disability Process FAQs
How Long Does the SSDI Process Take?
This is probably one of the first questions people ask after submitting their application.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one universal timeline.
The amount of time a claim takes can depend on several factors, including how quickly medical records can be obtained, whether additional evidence is needed, whether a consultative examination is necessary, and whether the claim requires additional review.
In other words, two people can apply for disability around the same time and experience very different timelines.
If your claim seems to be taking a long time, that does not automatically mean something is wrong with your application.
What If Your SSDI Claim Is Denied?
If your initial claim is denied, don’t assume you have to start over.
You may have the right to appeal the decision.
Social Security generally provides several levels of appeal, beginning with reconsideration and potentially continuing to a hearing before an administrative law judge, Appeals Council review, and federal court review.
Pay attention to your appeal deadline.
For many Social Security disability appeals, you generally have 60 days to request the next level of appeal after receiving a decision.
Don’t put an appeal on the back burner.
If you disagree with a decision, understanding your options and deadlines as soon as possible is important.
Need Help With Your SSDI Claim?
You don’t have to navigate the Social Security disability process alone.
At Parmele Disability Advocates, we help individuals understand their options and navigate the disability claims process. We provide cost-free consultations to discuss your situation and determine the best steps for your claim moving forward. We also assist with veterans compensation claims for those who have served in the military.
If you’re considering applying for SSDI, have already filed a claim, or have received a denial, our team can help you understand what may come next.
Contact Parmele Disability Advocates today to schedule a free consultation.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every disability claim is different, and the outcome of any claim depends on its individual facts and circumstances.
Parmele Disability Advocates
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