SSA Gov is the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) primary website. It’s visited by millions of people monthly for many purposes including checking their Social Security Disability and retirement benefits. Visitors also use SSA.Gov to update their address, request a replacement Social Security card and to submit applications online for some Social Security Disability claims.
Key Disability Related Sections of SSA GOV
Individuals applying for the work-credit based Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program can submit their application online for benefits. Individuals applying for the needs-based Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program must file an application with their local field office.
Once you apply for disability benefits for either program, you can check the status of your application online by signing up for a “My Social Security” account. The process is free, easy and takes less than 10 minutes on average!
For step-by-step directions on creating your account, visit the SSA’s website at: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/create.html.
Once signed in to “My Social Security” account, your online disability application status shows the following:
- Date of filing.
- Current claim location.
- Servicing office location.
- Scheduled hearing date and time.
- Re-entry numbers for incomplete applications.
- Publications that may be of interest to you, depending on your claim and current step in the process.
Can Social Security Disability Lawyers Use SSA GOV Services?
Many claimants work with disability lawyers to apply for or appeal denied disability benefits. Social Security Disability lawyers access claims information and client files online via a private system called the Electronic Records Express(ERE). So, instead of claimants and their disability lawyers logging into their individual online Social Security accounts to check status, lawyers use the ERE for Social Security Disability business.
Inside the ERE system, disability lawyers review individual client files. These client files contain all documentation related to a client’s claim. This includes but is not limited to status updates, any appeals, any disability determinations, and the client’s medical records.
In addition to reviewing the client file, disability lawyers use the ERE to electronically submit information to a claimant’s file. This information is typically related to updated medical records and hearing briefs. They also receive confirmation of any hearing notices and correspondences around hearings including the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)’s decision related to a client’s claim.
One of the reasons many claimants engage a disability lawyer is to help them stay organized and to follow-up in a timely manner, so the process continues to move forward. The ERE helps lawyers do just that.
Of note, while the ERE contains status updates for claimants at the hearing level, it contains limited status information for claimants at the initial and reconsideration levels. That’s because these stages are handled at the claimant’s assigned local Social Security field office and the state’s Disability Determination Services Office, respectively. Disability lawyers will contact those respective offices on your behalf for updates as appropriate.
