Questions about filing for disability in North Carolina Note: For help getting Social Security Disability or SSI, contact Accredited Disability Representative, Tim Moore, at 919-693-1004. Our office has a combined 60+ years of experience handling claims and we can assist you with an application, an appeal, or even help you get your claim started. We are based in North Carolina and we DO stay in touch with our clients. There are several things about filing for disability in North Carolina that you should know upfront. The first is that the claims process is long. Your initial claim, or disability application, may take 3-4 months before you get a decision. You can speed up the process, of course, if you 1) Provide Social Security with all the information that they need and 2) You do not miss appointments, such as for consultative medical examinations, and 3) You respond quickly to any additional requests for information which they need. These requests for information may come from the Social Security office where you start your claim, or they may come from DDS, also known as Disability Determination Services. DDS is the agency that actually makes the decision on your claim and it is made by a disability examiner. My advice would be to start your claim as efficiently as possible. By that, I mean that when you are first interviewed by a disability claims have all your information ready. This would be your work history for the last 15 years, your medication information (have your pill bottles with you when you are being interviewed either in person or on the phone), and having a complete list of all your doctors, including their names, what they treat you for, when you were first seen by them, when you were last seen by them, and when your next appointment is. Applying for disability in North Carolina is never an easy process. Having worked as a disability examiner making decisions on claims, I am well-aquainted with the many difficulties and long waits involved. If you have questions about getting disability in North Carolina, the pages listed here (and on this page, More NC Disability questions) may be helpful. The answers are based on my experience as a disability claims examiner at NC DDS, a.k.a. North Carolina Disability Determination Services. In addition to being a former disability examiner, I am also a non-attorney disability representative and to complement that I have also taken and passed the federal written examination that is administered by the Social Security Administration and which is authorized under Public Law No. 111-142, "The Social Security Disability Applicants' Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010". The purpose of this exam is to test knowledge of the relevant provisions of the Social Security Act and also knowlege of the most recent developments in SSA including court decisions that affect titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Filing for NC disability benefits Applying for Disability in North Carolina - How to apply, qualify, and meet filing requirements Applying for NC disability benefits More about filing for disability benefits in North Carolina How to claim disability benefits in North Carolina What happens on a disability application in North Carolina? How long will it take to receive NC disability benefits if your application is approved? Basic questions about disability benefits in North Carolina How much can you receive in disability backpay in North Carolina? How far back do you get disability benefits in North Carolina? Can You Work and Collect Social Security Disability in North Carolina? How to Get the Status on Your Social Security Disability Claim in North Carolina How do I get help to win my disability claim in North Carolina? The disability process in North Carolina What condition or conditions qualifies for disability in North Carolina? How long does it take to get through the disability system in North Carolina? Is it hard to get disability benefits in North Carolina? What are my chances of being approved for disability benefits in North Carolina? How long does it take to receive North Carolina disability benefits after you are approved? Disability determination services in North Carolina Disability decisions in North Carolina How long does it take for the disability decision in North Carolina? How does the North Carolina Social Security Disability determination process work? Getting disability benefits in North Carolina Getting denied for disability in North Carolina and filing appeals What does getting disability benefits in North Carolina involve? How to get on disability in North Carolina NC Disability requirements and qualifications Will I Qualify For Disability Benefits in North Carolina? What is the criteria for disability benefits in North Carolina? What are the disability qualifications in North Carolina? Proving the requirements for disability in North Carolina How do you meet the Disability qualifications in North Carolina? SSI and Social Security Disability requirements in North Carolina How do I Know If I Qualify For Disability in North Carolina? Winning Disability benefits in NC How do I win disability benefits in North Carolina? Improving your chances of getting disability in North Carolina How to improve the chances of winning a North Carolina disability hearing Will an attorney or representative help me win North Carolina disability benefits? Winning disability benefits in North Carolina Mental Disability benefits in NC Receiving disability for a mental condition in North Carolina How do you receive benefits for a mental disability in North Carolina? Getting approved for mental disability benefits in North Carolina Disability awards and award notices in North Carolina Getting a Social Security Disability award in North Carolina The Social Security Disability award notice process in North Carolina What affects how much time it takes to get a disability award in North Carolina? Disability representation in North Carolina Should I get a disability representative or lawyer in North Carolina? Who can provide disability representation in North Carolina? Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in North Carolina How do Disability Lawyers in North Carolina get paid their fees? Denied for disability in North Carolina, should I get an attorney or representative? Disability attorney fees in NC - paying your lawyer or representative How does a disability lawyer or representative get paid in North Carolina? How much does the fee cost for a disability attorney in North Carolina? Do you pay your disability lawyer in North Carolina or does Social Security pay the fee? Will your North Carolina disability lawyer charge you upfront for taking your case? Will your NC disability attorney charge you for any expenses other than the main fee? NC disability hearings What kind of decision will you get at a disability hearing in North Carolina? NC disability hearing - how long for a decision? Do you have to go to a Social Security hearing in North Carolina to get approved for disability? The disability hearing in North Carolina- things to keep in mind How do you prepare for a disability hearing in North Carolina?