The Social Security disability process can be a confusing one that many people find overwhelming because of how complex and time-consuming it can be. Luckily Social Security is aware of the difficult nature of applying for benefits and allows for others to help with the process. Help can come in the form of a friend, relative or advocate, but it can also come from an authorized representative who may collect a fee to assist if benefits are awarded. Below is information from Social Security explaining the different ways disability claimants can get help with the process.
Social Security welcomes those of you who wish to help another person apply for disability, retirement, spouse’s, or Medicare benefits. You may be a friend, relative, attorney, paralegal, employer, or member of an advocacy group or organization. When you fill out the application, Social Security may ask for information about you (the person completing the form), your relationship to the person you are helping to apply, if applicable, and the organization you work for. The person you are helping will be asked to agree to a ‘Terms of Service Agreement’ and create or log in to their personal my Social Security account. If Social Security is not able to process their request, they will receive specific information on how to contact us by phone or schedule an appointment. If the person you are helping is, or will be, immediately available to sign the completed application on his or her own behalf, please answer the questions as that person would answer them.
Authorized Representatives
You do not need to be appointed as the representative of the person you are helping in order to help him or her apply for benefits. But if the person you are helping wants to officially appoint you as the authorized representative to do business with Social Security, you must submit Form SSA-1696-U4 (Appointment of Representative). Visit the agency’s Representing Social Security Claimants website to get a copy of the form and an explanation of the representative process.
Signing The Application
It is important that the person applying for benefits signs the application – not the person helping. If the person you are helping is, or will be, with you and able to sign the completed application, he or she must be the one to sign it (i.e., electronically apply). The application will then be automatically forwarded to us and we will begin processing. However, if the person is not with you or not able to sign the application, we will mail it to him or her for verification and signature.
As an organization that represents clients applying for benefits, we understand it is crucial that a claimant follow through with signing the disability application. If Social Security does not receive a signed application, the agency will not process it and it is like the application never existed. Social Security provides a limited time to receive the signed application from the claimant. After that time is up Social Security will closeout the claim and a new application will need to be filed.
