How to speed up your Social Security Disability hearing

Many individuals seeking Social Security Disability will be denied when first applying. The next step in the process is to request for an appeal hearing before an administrative law judge, called an ALJ. 

This can be very frustrating often due to the long wait to appear for a hearing and the fact that one may be exeperiencing ongoing pain  resulting in an inability to carry out normal daily activities. There are many factors that can result in long waiting periods which a claimant can not do anything about. 

However, there a steps on can take in an attempt to speed up the process. 

1. Submit what is called a Dire Need letter to Social Security Officd of Adjudication and Review (ODAR). This states tha you require your claim to be reviewed sooner. You can state that due to financial reasons you may lose the use of gas, water and electricity in your home. 

2. You may lose your home due to foreclosure or be evicted. 

3. You may lose the ability to buy your medications or other needed medical equipment or care. 

Your dire need letter must be written in strong language and give a detailed reasons regarding your circumstances including supporting documentation from your bank, landlord, utility providers and your treating doctors. 

Another way to speed up the process for getting an appeal hearing is to ask for a congressional inquiry. You should call the office of your senator or congressman and ask that they intervene with ODAR due to your problems. The inquiry requires that your senator or congressman contact ODAR to ask that your hearing be scheduled sooner. There is no guarntee, however, that this will help, but in some cases it does work and may move up the hearing by a few months.