How to Keep Track of Letters From Social Security

Why the date a Social Security letter arrives matters

Most appeal deadlines run 60 days from the day you receive a decision notice. Social Security assumes you received it five days after the date printed on it, unless you show it arrived later. A note of the actual arrival date, made the day it comes, and the envelope it came in are the simplest ways to show that.

Sources: 20 CFR 404.901; 20 CFR 404.909.

A simple system for Social Security letters

The system has four parts, and none of them takes more than a minute per letter.

1. One folder. Every letter goes in it, newest on top, with its envelope stapled behind it.
2. A date on every letter. Write the day it arrived on the first page, in pen.
3. A one-page log. For each letter, note the date printed on it, the date it arrived, what it is, and what it asks you to do.
4. Copies of everything you send. Keep a copy of every form you return, with a fax confirmation or mailing receipt.

Calls get the same treatment. Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they said. Treat it the way you would treat paperwork for an insurance claim, where every letter comes in, every reply gets copied, and every call gets a note. Plan on more mail than you expect; a claim that reaches a hearing can produce a thick folder.

Sorting Social Security letters by what they ask of you

Most letters fall into one of four groups, and each calls for a different response.

• Decisions. A decision on your application, your reconsideration, or your hearing. These start an appeal clock and explain how to appeal.
• Requests for information. Forms or questions with a return date printed in the letter. Answer by that date.
• Scheduling. An exam appointment or a notice of hearing. Put the date on a calendar the day it arrives.
• Payments. Letters about amounts, back benefits, or changes. Keep these together; they matter later.

Sources: 20 CFR 404.900; 20 CFR 404.938.

When you move during a disability claim

Social Security mails notices to your last known address, so tell Social Security about a move right away. Not receiving a notice can be good cause for a late appeal, but that is a fallback, not a plan; a forwarding order with the post office helps cover the gap.

Sources: 20 CFR 404.904; 20 CFR 404.911.

Bringing the folder to a conversation about your claim

When you talk with anyone about the claim, bring the folder and the log. If the newest letter is a denial, the Denial Notice Checklist pulls out the parts that matter on one page.