The Social Security Administration’s Electronic Disability Guide, also referred to as eDG, is a database that includes information regarding the policies, processes and procedures that are used for processing Social Security Disability claims electronically.
The SSA’s Electronic Disability Guide is organized into different sections including sections that cover details about the initial disability claim process, the reconsideration request process, the process of a disability hearing and post-entitlement activity information.
There is a wealth of information available via the SSA’s eDG. For example, if an applicant wants to know how an ODAR office establishes a hearing case, Section DI 80550.030 of the eDG explains in detail how this is done, stating that a hearing may be initiated by submission of a hearing request form letter to an SSA field office, the re-opening of an administrative law judge decision or an appeals council order remanding a case to an ALJ.
While much of the information in this section is intended for employees of the Social Security Administration, it gives Social Security Disability applicants insight as to the process of opening a disability hearing and what goes on in the back end while the claimant waits for his or her hearing to be scheduled. For example, Section DI80550.090 of the eDG explains in detail the pre-hearing schedule events, such as the opening of the case, the scheduling of the disability hearing and the different status indicators that may be placed on a hearing request.
The SSA’s eDG is available online to the public even though much of the information is used by the employees of the SSA in order to process the claims that are filed for Social Security Disability benefits.
