FAQ

Yes, you can find samples of completed SSA forms here.

No, the claimant does not need to present when you turn in the signed SSA-1696. We do recommend submitting an original copy with a "wet-signature." Be sure to keep a copy for your records.

• The appeal must be filed within 60 days of receipt of the initial denial notice.
• The applicant must submit the following forms:
  • SSA-561: Request for Reconsideration
  • SSA-3441: Disability Report- Appeal
  • SSA-827: Authorization to Disclose Information to SSA
• Additional medical records and evidence can be submitted
• The application will be assigned to a different disability examiner and reviewing physician at DDS

Once you have set the Protective Filing Date (PFD), you have 60 days to submit the complete application & MSR.  Read Steps in the SSA Disability Application Process.

The SAMHSA SOAR TA Center recommends that you don’t cite the Listing and Grid numbers, e.g.) Ms. Jones meets Listing 12.04, and the alternative Grid rule 203.03. Rather, at the DDS level (initial and reconsideration) we suggest providing a description of how the applicant meets a particular Listing(s) or Grid rule through specific examples from the medical records, applicant quotes, and other collateral sources.

ALJ hearings may be conducted using video teleconferencing (VTC) equipment, rather than in-person, if there is equipment available to conduct a VTC hearing and if this would be more efficient than conducting an appearance in person. Applicants have a right to object to a VTC hearing if using the VTC model would cause undue hardship or for other reasons specified in HALLEX regulations. 

Here is a link to SSA data on length of time it takes to get a hearing, by hearing office:  https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/01_NetStat_Report.html.   You can also see how many video vs. in person hearings a particular office does, though there is much local variation on how cases are assigned to in-person vs. video dockets. While VTC hearings generally come up quicker, this is in the context of long wait times for hearing scheduling generally.  

It is our opinion that all applicants at the hearing level should be represented by someone who is knowledgeable about preparing and presenting claims at the ALJ level.  ODAR will have a staffer who will assist with the equipment, but not much more than that. An advocate will be able to directly examine the applicant and cross examine any experts that are present, e.g. vocational and/or medical experts.

HALLEX (Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law Manual) is a publication from the Social Security Administration's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). ODAR administers hearings and appeals for people seeking reviews of their applications for disability benefits. HALLEX contains policy statements from the SSA's Appeals Council, as well as procedures directed to lower levels of the SSA for carrying out the SSA's guiding principles

A general privacy release can be used to communicate about the applicant to friends/relatives/other service providers, etc. This can be the SOAR sample (even if it is not for medical records) or a more generic one. Here is another example from CSH.  Most agencies have a privacy release that they use at intake or for these purposes. 

If you forget to enter “SOAR” in the remarks sections of SSA forms, they may not be directed to the SOAR liaison at your local SSA office (if one has been identified). However, there are other ways you can indicate that the application was completed using the SOAR model, even after you have submitted the online disability report:

1. Ensure that SOAR is written in the remarks section of the SSA-8000 (SSI application) that you deliver to your local SSA office;
2. When you deliver the paper SSA forms to the local SSA office, notify the claims representative that you are using the SOAR process;
3. Call the SOAR liaison at your local SSA office (if one has been identified) and notify him/her that you have submitted an application using the SOAR process.

Not all SSA offices have a SOAR liaison or know about the SOAR process. Remember that the most important part of the SOAR model is providing a complete, high-quality application with medical records and a Medical Summary Report (MSR). These elements, rather than the SOAR label on forms, will ensure that the application is processed efficiently by SSA and DDS.

The SOAR process can definitely be used to assist applicants with appeals, as SOAR practitioners are often well positioned to assist given their relationships with applicants and knowledge of their impairments and related functional limitations. SOAR case managers can help by gathering additional medical records, writing a Medical Summary Report, and assisting with SSA forms specific to the appeal process. More information on assisting applicants with appeals, including a full issue brief with tips for practitioners, is available in the SOAR Library.