Your application for disability benefits can be successful if you prepare the application carefully and provide complete information to Social Security. There are several ways to apply:
1. by filling out the online application form on your computer (You can begin the process and go back to it as you gather more information) or
2. by calling on the telephone: 1-800-772-1213.
Apply Online audio book.
I help disabled workers who have filed applications that are being processed by these District Offices, which are closed to the public:
70 Bond Street, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104
200 High Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040
960 Main St. 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT 06103
Make sure Social Security has a complete application that explains your disability. As you can see, 2 out of 3 of Initial Applications are denied by Social Security, and only about 2 in ten of the people who ask for Reconsideration are granted benefits:
Social Security Disability Claims Allowance Rates at the Initial and Reconsideration Adjudicative Levels (Fiscal Year 2018)
| Initial Applications Allowed | Benefits Awarded Upon Reconsideration | |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | 35% | 12.6% |
| Connecticut | 34.6% | 14.3% |
| Massachusetts | 41.1% | 19.1% |
If the application is not successful at the Reconsideration step, people either give up or take their claims to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. That is why your case must be carefully prepared when you file the Initial Application, to avoid confusion when the Administrative Law Judge reviews the case and hears your testimony.
The Apply Online booklet has a list of information on Pages 2 – 3 that you should gather before you go online to file your application. To help prepare your information, you may find it helpful to print out these paper forms. Carefully consider all the questions they are asking you and write in the information. Take you time and make changes and corrections as you consider each question:
Social Security Form 3368 Adult Disability Report describing your medical treatment and work history
Social Security Form 3373 Function Report (Q 009 D) explaining how your disability impacts your daily life
Social Security Form 3369 Work History Report
Social Security Form 3380 Third Party Report of Function
Special Reports and records from your doctors will prove the intensity of your impairments, including pain and any other “invisible” impairments that make it impossible for you to work. Whether you apply online or in person, all the information about your claim is going to be scanned into a computer, and handled electronically by claims workers who review:
your illness
your impairments
medical treatment
your doctors
medication
your work history
your education
More Information To Start a Disability Application:
Fact Sheet: What You Should Know Before You Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
Checklist: What You Should Bring to Your Disability Interview at Social Security
Medical and Job Worksheet
If You Lose at This Level: The next level is Reconsideration