Library & Tools

There are two SSA disability programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). People often confuse them. Both programs are federally funded and administered by the Social Security Administration.

It is important to find out whether someone has a pending initial claim or is waiting for a reconsideration or an appeals hearing before starting a new application.

April is National Social Security Month! In 2021, we honored Mike Nolan, one of the SOAR initiative’s longest-standing supporters at the Social Security Administration (SSA).

When you are preparing to appeal a denial of disability benefits, the first thing you should do is request the case file so that you can review key components of the file and decision!

Here are examples of completed SSA and SOAR Forms using information from a fictitious SSI/SSDI applicant.

Here are examples of completed SSA and SOAR Forms using information from a fictitious SSI child applicant.

This article explains how you can promote SOAR with your Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) office to help ease their backlog and workload issues, while at the same time, improving access to expedited decisions for SOAR applicants.

This infographic illustrates how SOAR makes an impact at the local level.

The following stories were submitted with permission to the SOAR Technical Assistance Center in response to a call for examples of how Social Security disability benefits have changed the lives of people who were experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

Staff turnover while there are pending disability applications can confuse and concern the applicant, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and Disability Determination Services (DDS). This checklist helps agencies effectively transfer applications to a new SOAR case worker, resulting in a frustration-free experience for all.