Welcome to North Star ★
Your Social Security Disability Guide
Your Journey
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Applied
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Initial Decision
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Reconsideration
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ALJ Hearing
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Decision
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Appeals Council
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Approved
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Days to Hearing
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Doctors on File
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RFCs Collected
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Active Deadlines
Current Stage — What Happens Next
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Right to Review Your File
Claimants have the right to review their complete SSA file before the hearing.
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Evidence Submission Deadline
Additional evidence must be submitted at least 5 business days before the hearing.
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Vocational Expert Testimony
A Vocational Expert testifies at most ALJ hearings about work in the national economy.
Upcoming Deadlines
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No deadlines added yet
Go to Deadlines in the sidebar to track your important dates.
Quick Access
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RFC Forms
Open →
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Glossary
Open →
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Appointments
View →
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My ALJ
View →
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice. If you have an attorney or advocate, share relevant information with them.
My Roadmap
The complete Social Security disability process — where you are, what came before, and what comes next.
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Initial Application
The SSA-16 and SSA-3368 are filed. DDS begins reviewing medical evidence. Average processing time: 3–6 months.
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Initial Decision
DDS issues a written determination. Most initial claims receive a denial. The appeal window is 65 days from the notice date.
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Reconsideration
A different DDS examiner reviews the file with any new evidence. Most reconsiderations also result in denial.
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ALJ Hearing — Current Stage
An independent Administrative Law Judge reviews the complete file and hears testimony. Published SSA data shows higher approval rates at this level than at prior levels.
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ALJ Decision
The ALJ issues a fully favorable, partially favorable, or unfavorable written decision explaining the findings and the basis for the determination.
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Appeals Council
If unfavorable, the claimant may request Appeals Council review within 65 days. The AC reviews for legal error and does not hold hearings.
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Federal Court
If the AC denies review or upholds the decision, the claimant may file in federal district court. Completing the AC level is required before federal court.
Process timelines are estimates based on published SSA data and vary by hearing office and region.
Deadline Tracker
SSA appeal deadlines are fixed. Track every window, hearing date, and response deadline.
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Critical — 14 days
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Act Soon — 30 days
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Upcoming — 90 days
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Future
Active Deadlines
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No deadlines added yet
Click + Add Deadline to start tracking your SSA appeal deadlines, hearing dates, and response windows.
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice. Always verify deadlines with SSA directly or with your attorney or advocate.
Appointment Tracker
Track medical appointments, hearings, and consultations. Document what was discussed and any follow-up needed.
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Total
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Upcoming
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This Month
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Upcoming Appointments
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No appointments added yet
Click + Add Appointment to track your medical visits, hearings, and consultations.
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice.
Income Tracker
Track monthly earnings to monitor your Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) status. The 2024 SGA threshold is $1,550/month for non-blind individuals.
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$1,550
SGA Threshold 2024
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SGA Status
★ What is SGA?Substantial Gainful Activity is the monthly earnings threshold SSA uses at Step 1. Earning above SGA while a claim is pending results in denial. In 2024 the threshold is $1,550/month for non-blind individuals. SSA adjusts this annually.
Income Log
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No income logged yet
Click + Log Income to track monthly earnings and monitor your SGA status.
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice. Consult your attorney or advocate regarding how income affects your specific claim.
RFC Forms Library
29 RFC forms for doctors to complete. Click any form to view details.
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29
Forms
Word+PDF
Format
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Select a form
Each RFC form is completed by the treating physician. Click any form to view what it covers and how it is used.
Medical Evidence Tracker
Track all treating sources, which records have been requested and received, and any gaps in the medical record.
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Providers on File
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Records Received
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Records Pending
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RFC Forms Collected
Treating Sources
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No providers added yet
Add your treating physicians, specialists, and other medical sources to track your evidence file.
★ What SSA NeedsSSA requests records from all treating sources you list on the application using the SSA-827 authorization. Keep track of every provider and whether their records have been received into your file.
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice.
My ALJ
SSA assigns your Administrative Law Judge β you do not choose them. When SSA sends your hearing notice it will include the judge's name. Enter it here and use the official SSA link to look up their public decision statistics.
★ My Assigned Judge
Judge Name
Hearing Office
Hearing Date
Hearing Format
★ Look Up Your Judge's Public Decision Statistics
SSA publishes approval and denial rates for every ALJ nationwide. These are public records. You can look up your assigned judge by name to see their historical approval rate, average processing time, and decision breakdown. Approval rates vary significantly from judge to judge β some approve the majority of cases while others approve far fewer. This information does not predict the outcome of your case, but it is useful context to share with your attorney or advocate.
🔍 SSA ALJ Decision Statistics →
Hearing Office Locator →
★ What Approval Rate Statistics Mean
What the stats show
Historical percentage of decisions that were fully or partially favorable. Covers all cases the judge decided β not just cases similar to yours.
What they do not show
The strength of the cases that came before the judge. A lower approval rate does not mean a judge is unfair β it may reflect the mix of cases in that office.
Can I request a different judge?
Recusal requests are rarely granted and require a specific legal basis β not simply a preference for a different judge. Your attorney or advocate can advise whether circumstances in your case warrant a recusal request.
How to use this information
Share the stats with your attorney or advocate. They understand how to interpret approval rates in context and can factor this into how they prepare your case.
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Share With Your Attorney or Advocate
Your representative can look up your judge's stats and advise you on what they mean for your specific case. If you do not yet have representation, this information is a useful conversation starter when consulting with an attorney.
ALJ statistics are public information published by SSA and do not predict outcomes in individual cases. North Star does not rate, rank, or evaluate individual judges. Information entered here is stored for this session only.
Communication Log
Every interaction documented — what was sent, received, discussed, and what follow-up is needed.
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Total Entries
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Sent
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Received
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Urgent
Recent Communications
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No communications logged yet
Use the Log Communication button to track every interaction with SSA, your attorney, and your doctors.
Plain English Glossary
100 SSA terms explained clearly. No legal jargon.
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100
Terms
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Select a term
Plain English definitions with related terms and stage information.
Blue Book Reference
SSA Listing of Impairments in plain English.
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Listings
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Systems
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Select a listing
Meeting a listing means SSA finds disability at Step 3 without assessing work capacity.
SSA Rulings
Key Social Security Rulings. Binding on all ALJs.
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Rulings
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Select a ruling
SSA Rulings fill gaps in the regulations and clarify how situations are evaluated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions answered in plain English.
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75
Questions
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Categories
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Select a category
Browse by category or search for any question.
SSA Official Forms
Official forms linking directly to ssa.gov.
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16
Forms
ssa.gov
Source
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Select a form
Each form links to the official SSA source with a plain English explanation.
My Representative
Store your attorney or advocate information here. Representation is not required but SSA data shows represented claimants have higher approval rates at the ALJ hearing level.
★ How Representation Works
Contingency Fee
Disability attorneys are paid only if you win. No upfront cost. The fee comes from back pay only.
SSA Fee Cap
SSA caps the fee at 25% of past-due benefits up to a maximum set annually. SSA pays the attorney directly from the back pay award.
Any Stage
You may obtain representation at any stage of the process - initial application through federal court.
★ My Representative Information
Representative Name
Firm / Organization Name
Phone Number
Email Address
Date Retained
Fee Arrangement
Notes
★ Appointing Your Representative Officially
To officially designate a representative before SSA, both you and your representative must complete and sign Form SSA-1696 - Appointment of Representative. Once filed, SSA communicates directly with your representative and they may act on your behalf at all levels of the process.
Open SSA-1696 at SSA.gov →
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Finding a Representative
The National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) maintains a directory of disability attorneys and advocates. Your state bar association's lawyer referral service and local legal aid organizations are also sources of representation. Many attorneys offer free consultations.
NOSSCR.org →
North Star is an informational and organizational tool only. It does not provide legal advice. Information entered here is stored only for this session and is not transmitted to any server.
Hearing Offices
SSA hearing offices by state. Find contact information for the office handling your case.
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Offices
Nationwide
Coverage
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Select a hearing office
Find the office assigned to your case. Contact information, region, and notes on each office.