DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

When your attorney files a new Social Security disability claim for you, he/she cannot sign your name.  So, Social Security will mail you a copy of the application (called an Application Summary) for you to review and sign.  This entire document must be returned promptly.  If it isn't, your claim will be put on an indefinite hold until the document comes in. Social Security will not call or send you a reminder that the form has not been received.  Your claim just sits inactive as the weeks and months roll by. You may think everything is normal.  After about 6 months Social Security will dismiss your claim and purge it from their system--all because you did not return the Application Summary with your signature.    Failure to sign and return forms causes more delay than anything else. Here's another problem I have encountered:  The claimant signs the signature page (last page) of the application and sends JUST THAT ONE PAGE back.  That is not ...