Tips from the Pro: Applying for Disability
Here are some useful tips to pass on to your patients who’re applying for disability benefits from Social Security.
To apply call SSA at 1-800-772-1213, to make an appointment to file a disability claim at your local Social Security office or to set up an appointment for someone to take your claim over the telephone. The disability claims interview lasts about one hour. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days. If you schedule an appointment, a Disability Starter Kit will be mailed to you. The Disability Starter Kit will help you get ready for your disability claims interview. Or you can download it at: www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.
- Schedule a telephone interview. Sarah Langer, LICSW, of MGH Senior Health recently spoke with CRC staff to pass on this guidance she received from a private disability specialist. Though it may seem more efficient to apply online, in the long-run it may lead to more delays as it offers no convenient way to seek clarification or ensure questions are being answered appropriately. In a telephone interview SSA staff can also prompt for further information, potentially eliminating other common sources of delay. According to this disability specialist, SSA is required to schedule the telephone interview within three days of the initial phone call.
- When you call SSA staff can help look up physician contact numbers within their computer system. The applicant just needs the physician’s name and city (may also need hospital affiliation if it is a common name).
- Hand-deliver medical records to the appropriate SSA office. They are less likely to get lost and more likely to arrive in a timely manner.
-Thanks to Sarah Langer for sharing these tips!
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