Preparing an Application that Wins an Initial Disability Decision
You can apply for disability benefits several ways:
1. by filling out an online application form on your computer
2. by calling on the telephone: 1-800-772-1213, or
3. by visiting the District Office nearest you:
70 Bond Street, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104
200 High Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040
960 Main St. 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT 06103
We help you get your claim processed quickly by making sure Social Security has:
- A complete application that explains your disability
- 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
- Questionnaire on Pain (Q 004 D) that describes how pain affects your ability to get through each day
- Social Security Form 3369 Work History Report (Q 018 D)
- Social Security Form 3380 Third Party Report of Function
- Special Reports and records from your doctors to prove the intensity of your impairments, including pain and any other "invisible" impairments that make it impossible for you to work.
To understand the disability process, and file your application properly, consider buying this e-book by Social Security Attorney Thomasz Stasiuk:
Social Security is using a system that relies on computers and software to decide if your claim fits into a "predictive model." If you have a clear-cut case, the screening software should send your case to a unit that makes Quick Disability Determinations, known as "QDD." Claims workers in the Social Security District Office will also be looking to see if there is a "high potential" that you have a QDD case. Your medical history, your medical treatments and your doctor's findings help them to decide if your claim has "high potential" for a quick determination:
If we can win at this step, you will begin receiving your benefits right away. That's why preparing your application and the other forms is so important. If the claims workers in Springfield or Hartford can get the evidence they need, they can refer your case to the Disability Determination Service ("DDS") unit that makes the Quick Disability Determinations:
- Massachusetts: 22 Front Street, P.O. Box 8009, Worcester, MA 01614
- Connecticut: 309 Warwarme Avenue, Hartford, CT 06114
At the Quick Disability Determination Unit, a medical or psychological expert must verify that the medical evidence in your file is sufficient to determine that, as of your alleged onset date, your physical or mental impairment(s) meet the standards for quick disability determinations. The decision must be made within 20 days. We can help you prepare your application now, so it has the best chance for approval with Social Security's Disability claims process.
If the Quick Disability Determination Unit cannot make a determination that is fully favorable to you within 20 days of receiving it, or if there is an unresolved disagreement between the disability examiner and the medical or psychological expert, the Disability Determination Service will make the disability decision on your claim.
Keeping in touch with the Disability Determination Service people who are responsible for your disability decision is one of the many ways we can help you win an initial decision.
Disabled workers often ask us: "What are the odds my application for benefits will succeed when I first apply?" Here are the nationwide statistics for disabled workers who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance during 2006:
Year |
Medical Decisions made by Social Security at the initial level |
Total Allowances |
Allowance Rate |
| 2006 | 663,696 |
296,039 |
44.6% |
| Source: Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2007 | |||
The rate of Social Security Disability Insurance and SSI claims allowed in Connecticut and Massachusetts at the initial application level was even lower during 2008:
Year |
State |
Claims Denied
|
Allowance Rate
|
| 2008 | Connecticut | 66.9% |
33.1% |
| 2008 | Massachusetts | 54.3% |
45.7% |
| Source: State Agency Operation Report, December 12, 2008, Prepared by ODP/ODPMI | |||
As you can see, more than half of the people who apply for benefits are denied at the initial level. But, if your claim for benefits is complete, with evidence that requires that the Social Security claims reviewers find in your favor, you can win at the first step. If you want us to get to work for you, call (413) 567-5600 for a free case evaluation.
