Your Adult Social Security Disability or SSI Claim:

The First 15 Minutes (continued) 

Next Steps in Processing the Claim

So, after this initial 15 minute review of a new claim, the disability examiner usually knows what strategy will be needed to collect the most telling information in the least amount of time.

That is why it is extremely important that an application for benefits be completed as thoroughly as possible by the applicant. With the amount of cases that an adjudicator handles, 15 minutes in the initial review is generally all the upfront time a claim will receive.

After the initial review is done, another five to 10 minutes may be used to send for all medical records, to send out all third-party contact forms on mental claims, to send out forms to the claimant requesting additional work history information if that section of the application was incomplete (which it often is), to send “functional” questionnaires to claimants that are alleging specific impairments such as heart disease, asthma, COPD, etc. And to request that a CE appointment be made for the claimant. If an adult claimant alleges special education, his/her school records will also be requested from their last school.

If an application is received incomplete or information is missing, and the examiner does not catch it during this initial review, then the chances are great that this claimant’s application will take longer than 90 days to reach a decision. 

Disclaimer: The writer is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration or the Disability Determination Service in any capacity. The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer and may or may not be accurate. If you need assistance with your disability claim, contact an attorney who specializes in Social Security disability cases, a disability paralegal or other qualified advocate or representative to assist you.

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