Claims often spend great amounts of time in the Social Security Disability system not because Social Security is slow, but because many claims are filed incomplete. You can shorten the amount of time your claim spends in the system by filing a complete claim.

When you do file there are a number of items Social Security will need in order to process you claim. Bringing the following items will help you file a complete and efficient claim:

- Social Security card of all persons applying for benefits

- Birth certificate of all persons applying for benefits

- Military discharge documents (if applicable)

- Dates and places of treatment

- Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of anyone who has treated you

- Names of current medication

- Medical records from all places of treatment

- Your tax information

- Work history for the past decade and a half

- Dates of prior marriages if your spouse is applying for benefits

And if you are applying for SSI, you also need:

- Paycheck stubs, bank records, insurance policies, car registration, burial fund records, and other information about your income and possessions

- Information about your current housing situation

If you do not have and cannot obtain some of this information, do not forgo filing a claim. We can help, or your local Social Security office will be happy to help you collect this information. Again, the sooner you file the better. Though Social Security may award retroactive benefits, retroactive benefits may only reach back to year before your claim.