I frequently hear from people who have delayed filing because they want to get their papers together. My question is always, “What papers?”
There are no papers to gather before you file disability. When you put in a disability application, Social Security does the work of contacting the clinics, urgent cares, and hospitals where you have been treated. They gather the papers. All you have to do is sign release forms, state where you have been seen, and the approximate dates you were treated. You do not need to know specific dates of your appointments, sometimes all a person can recall is “winter last year” or even “one or two years ago” and it is enough to locate the medical records.
If you have paperwork that you want to add to the claim, then this can be done after the application is filed. On average, after the application is filed, it takes over six months to get a decision. Send your papers after you file. For as long as it already takes, you do not want to add unnecessary time.
Bottom line: Do not delay filing your disability claim. Social Security will gather your papers. In the event that you need help, an experienced disability attorney can do it for you. If you are in North Carolina, we would be happy to help: 1-866-425-5347 is the number to call. If you want, we can call you: www.hall-rouse.com is the website. You can do an online form giving us your contact information and we will reach out.