Filing for Social Security Disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI) benefits can be a long process. It typically requires you to wait for months before you get a response from anyone at the SSA.

Your wait is particularly difficult when you are struggling to pay your bills because you cannot work. You are anxious to receive your disability check and may be wondering "How do I check the status of my Social Security Disability claim?"

One of the most common questions I get from clients as a disability lawyer is about the status of their claim. Below are instructions for how to check the Social Security application status of your disability claim at the different stages of the SSDI application process

How can I check my Social Security status:

How Can I Check My Social Security Status during the Initial Application?

SSA allows you to check the status of your application through your personal my Social Security account online. You will need your application number in order to process your request.

You can also get a status update by contacting a representative at your local Social Security office.

You may also contact the disability examiner at the state agency reviewing your claim. This professional works at a disability office on the state level instead of with the SSA. It is typically easier to reach the disability examiner to ask questions about a specific application than it is to reach a representative at the SSA who can find information related to your application.

The disability examiner is able to tell you whether a decision is pending or complete, but the examiner cannot tell you whether the application was approved or denied.

A disability examiner may also be able to assist you with expediting the review process. However, it is important to understand that applications can only be expedited in special circumstances. A knowledgeable Louisiana SSDI attorney can help you better understand how and when to expedite the application process.

How Can I Check My Social Security Status After the Initial Application, but Before the ALJ Hearing?

Application status updates following the initial application (or a reconsideration) but before your scheduled hearing date and time can be obtained by contacting the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) disability examiner.

However, the disability examiner can only tell you whether the case is scheduled, ready to schedule, or currently being processed.  They do not make a decision on the case and cannot tell you whether the case is approved or not.

How Can I Check My Social Security Status Following the ALJ Hearing?

Once your hearing is held, again the ODAR disability examiner can help best. Again, however, they usually do not tell you if you were approved or denied, but only if the case was decided, is still being decided, or if further information is needed.

Getting Help From a Professional

An experienced Metairie disability lawyer can help you complete paperwork in a timely manner and file appeals quickly. Application forms can sometimes be confusing and overwhelming but completing these forms in the proper manner in a timely fashion can help make the decision quicker.

While some people think it is important for you to be proactive about seeking status updates, I believe it is more important to ensure that you have provided all of the information necessary to make a decision quickly. Whether or not you are being represented by a disability attorney, this is the most important thing to getting a timely decision.

At every step in the process, gathering updated information related to the status of an application can help you discover whether there were errors or omissions in the application that require you to provide updated information to the SSA.