My bills are piling up fast. Is there anything I can do to get my disability benefits sooner?

Disability claims with the SSDI can sometimes be time consuming. The social security administration assess each application carefully to determine the individuals eligibility for benefits. This may mean requiring multiple medical exams, requesting additional information and having the documentation reviewed by independent medical professionals. All of this can add up to a long claims process, which can be very difficult for someone to deal with if he is disabled and not earning income. If you need the money sooner, there is not - unfortunately- a whole lot you can do. 

To try to make the process go as quickly as possible:

• Make sure you provide detailed documentation and medical evidence. The more information you provide, the less chance there is of having your claim denied and having to go through an even longer appeals process. 
• Respond to inquiries and requests for documentation or paperwork as quickly as possible
• Follow-up. Make phone calls, check to ensure your information was submitted, and keep in touch with the SSA agent assigned to your case. 

If none of this is making the process go quickly enough for you, you can consider requesting a social security disability advance from the SSA. Of course, if you do make the decision to request an advance, you need to be aware that there is a fee for it and you might have to take a loss or accept less than you would have received if you had just waited to get the benefits in time. This is not an ideal solution, but if you have a mortgage payment or medical bills that are pressing and you need money immediately, you can ask the SSA about this option. 

You should also consider hiring a lawyer to help you through the claims process. A lawyer can help you ensure you have all of the information required to get your claim approved as quickly as possible, without undue delay.