There was a hearing of the House Social Security Subcommittee on february 14, 2007.  The topic was the extremely long wait times at SSA hearing offices.  A group that I am a member of called NOSSCR or National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives presented stories detailing the difficulty the long wait times were causing claimants.  One of the major reasons given for the delay is that SSA is underfunded and can not afford to hire enough ALJs and support staff to handle the high case load.  I am not one who believes in throwing more money at a problem but I have noticed in the ODARs that I deal with most that there are Judges leaving and not being replaced.  It also appears to me over the last three months there has been a dramatic drop in the number of hearings scheduled.  I don't expect the problems to fixed anytime soon but at-least Congress is listening.

I am sometimes asked what to do if your own doctor will not help with your disability claim.  The first thing you should know is if your doctor is not providing his medical records you can request a subpoena from SSA.  If your lawyer is having trouble getting records sometimes if the patient goes down to the doctors office and asks for them they may have an easier time.  Patients have a relationship with the doctor and many doctors just don't like lawyers or their request for records.  When it comes to RFC forms many doctors and most clinics will refuse to fill them out.  Doctors have extremely busy schedules and can't or don't want to spend time filling them out.  One way to help with this is to bring your RFC on a scheduled medical visit and ask him or her to fill it out then. 

I believe this site is the best site to start your research for SSD and SSI.  If you read this site you will have a good foundation of what it takes to win your benefits.  You will learn about the process of how your claim is handled.  You will also learn how they determine if you are disabled.  Most importantly you will learn what you can do to give yourself the best chance to win.  I encourage you to visit Social Security's website as well after you understand the basics of a claim.  I have attempted in this site to make some very confusing and complex concepts easily understandable.  I hope I have achieved this goal but if you are confused about any aspect of this site just let me know so I can try and make it even more clear.

I often get asked if everyone gets denied at application for Social Security Disability.  No, this is not true.  In fact many people win on their first shot.  However, if you lose on the first shot it does not mean you will lose later on as well.  Many people lose at application because the file is not properly developed.  If you want to make sure you give yourself the best chance of winning early you should make sure all your medical records are in and you have a good understanding of what you have to prove to succeed.  Many people who apply also do so with out a lawyer.  They often take the position that they will try on their own and if they lose they will get a lawyer.  I understand the thinking behind this but if you are going to take the first step on your own make sure you know as much as you can about how they will decide if you are disabled as you can.  The benefits of having a lawyer early on is that your claim will be properly developed and it can increase your chances of winning earlier.  Another advantage is that since lawyers get paid based on past due benefits usually the earlier you win the less you have to pay your lawyer.  So lawyer or no lawyer don't waste an opportunity to win learn as much as you can and get those medicals in.