Everything on this site
Guides and Checklists for Every Stage of a Disability Claim
This page lists every guide and worksheet on Disability Next Steps, grouped by what you need. Stage guides explain one step of a Social Security disability claim. Worksheets are blank pages to print or fill in on screen. Short guides cover practical tasks such as organizing letters and records.
Start with the stage you are in, then use the worksheet that goes with it.
By stage
Stage guides for SSDI and SSI claims
- Start HereMatch your last letter to your stage.
- Before You ApplyWhat to gather and decide before filing.
- After a DenialThe 60-day window and reconsideration.
- Getting Ready for a HearingThe notice, the evidence deadline, and the hearing itself.
- After a Judge DenialAppeals Council review and what follows.
- Helping SomeoneSupporting an adult’s claim without taking over.
- SSDI or SSI?How the two programs differ, and getting both.
Printable worksheets
Disability claim worksheets to print or fill in on screen
- Medical Provider OrganizerList every doctor, clinic, and hospital, with approximate dates and the records each one holds.
- Work History WorksheetDescribe what each job actually required: lifting, standing, hours, and the tasks behind the title.
- Denial Notice ChecklistFind the parts of a denial notice that matter and note what to bring to a conversation about it.
- First-Call ChecklistA short list to keep in front of you on a first call, whether the claim is yours or someone else’s.
Practical guides
Short guides for the paperwork side of a disability claim
- How to Keep Track of Letters From Social SecurityA simple folder-and-log method so no notice or deadline gets lost.
- How to Describe What You Actually Did at WorkTurning a job title into the task-by-task detail Social Security uses.
- Preparing When Your Medical Records Are ScatteredHow to build a list of where your records are, without chasing every copy.
- Helping an Adult Prepare for a Disability CallHow to support someone on a call while the claim stays theirs.
Legal help from the firm behind this site
Talk with Downard & Associates about your claim
Downard & Associates represents adults with SSDI and SSI claims in every state by phone and video, from applications through Appeals Council review. Sending an inquiry starts a conversation; it does not file anything with Social Security. We respond to inquiries within 3 business hours.
Representation before Social Security nationwide: 42 U.S.C. 406; 20 CFR 404.1705.