Hi,
Was in auto accident last year , I applied for disability social security in April ( didn't realize I could ) need two operations to get back to normal , I own a restaurant that's not doing well and I don't take any income , but have to drag myself there and make sure it remains open. I can't afford to have the surgeries because my deductible is high and I'd have to be away from the business for an extended period. While I await the decision I'm running out of savings , what else can I do to either get supplemtal money or to possibly speed process along?
Thank you

Hi,

If you're not yet age 62, you likely can't get any type of Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments until your disability claim is approved. I don't know if you could be eligible for help from any other sources. If you are age 62 or older, you could consider filing for reduced retirement benefits pending the outcome of your disability claim. You didn't mention your marital history either, so I have no idea whether or not you could be eligible for any other types of Social Security benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10024.pdf).

About the only thing you could do to possibly speed up the determination on your claim is to contact the Social Security or Disability Determinations Office that's working on your claim to see if they are waiting for any evidence from your doctors that you might be able to help them obtain.

Best, Jerry