Missing medical evidence in my Social Security disability appeal - where did my documents go?

Unfortunately this happens more often than you'd think. The SSA's document management system doesn't always properly index all the pages, especially if you submitted PDFs with multiple pages in each attachment. What likely happened is they received your documents but they're showing up differently in their system than you expected.I recommend doing these three things:1. During your callback, ask them to specifically check if all 10 attachments were received (not just page count)2. Request confirmation of exactly what medical records they have on file (they should be able to list the document names)3. If anything is missing, ask about submitting the missing documents directly to your local office rather than through the portalAlso, keep detailed notes about who you speak with and what they tell you. This documentation can be important if there are issues later.

Thank you so much for this detailed advice! I'll definitely ask about all 10 attachments and see if they can confirm the specific records they have. I've been keeping a notebook with names and dates of everyone I talk to. Do you think I should just go ahead and bring copies of everything to the local office anyway, just to be safe? I'm so worried they'll deny me because they're missing important test results.

same thing happened to me last year. the SSA rep told me they had 30 pages but i sent like 80!! turned out they counted it weird and actually had everything. got approved 4 months later. dont panic yet

That gives me hope! Did you do anything special to make sure they had everything? My neurologist's reports are the most important and I'm terrified they're missing those.

The way SSA counts pages can be very confusing. When they say \

My cousin works at SSA and says they actually hate when people bring stuff in person because it causes more work for them! They prefer fax but their fax machines are always broken lol. The whole system is a joke.

I went through exactly this nightmare with my reconsideration last year. Called SSA and they gave me different page counts every time. Drove me insane!After three frustrating calls and hours on hold, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual SSA representative in under 5 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUOnce I got through to a knowledgeable rep, they explained that their system shows documents differently than how we upload them. The rep confirmed they had all my evidence despite the confusing page count. Saved me from resubmitting everything and potentially causing more confusion in my file.

Thanks for the tip! I'll check that out if my callback tomorrow doesn't go well. Did you end up getting approved for disability? I'm so stressed about this whole process.

Yes, I was approved at the reconsideration level, which I know is rare. Having that clear communication about my evidence definitely helped. The key was making sure they had my most recent doctor's functional assessment form. Good luck with your case!

I had EXACT same thing happen!!!! The SSA LOST half my medical records and then DENIED my claim saying

While I understand your frustration, there's no evidence that SSA intentionally loses documents. Their systems are outdated and overwhelmed, but deliberate sabotage isn't happening. Getting representation is good advice though, as attorneys know how to properly submit and track evidence.

You believe what you want but my lawyer said they do this ALL THE TIME!! Why else would they have

maybe check your confirmation emails from when u uploaded? mine had like receipt numbers or something

That's a good idea - just checked and the confirmation email just says

I'm going through this exact situation right now with my husband's SSDI appeal. Their document system is terrible. We submitted everything correctly and they still claimed to be missing records. One thing that helped us was specifically asking about the most important records (in our case, his MRI results and specialist's assessment). Turns out they did have those, just counted them differently.Don't give up! And if you have a specific doctor whose records are most crucial, consider asking that doctor to send those records directly to SSA as well. Our neurologist did this and it ensured those records were properly filed.

That's brilliant! I could ask my neurologist to send my records directly. Did your doctor need any special forms to do that? And did your husband eventually get approved?

Our neurologist just needed my husband's written permission and his SSN to send the records. We also included the name of his specific claim examiner (which we got by calling SSA). Still waiting on the decision, it's been 4 months since the appeal submission.

Quick update on your options for ensuring complete evidence in your file:1. You have the right to review your file under the Privacy Act. You can submit a formal request to see exactly what's in your electronic folder.2. If documents are missing, you can submit them with a clear cover letter referencing your claim number and stating: \

the privacy act request thing takes FOREVER tho. i did that and they took 3 months to send me my file!

You're right about the Privacy Act request timeframe - it's not a quick solution. However, you can also ask during a phone call for them to verify specific documents in your file, which gives you immediate information about what they have.

My brother applied for SS disability last year and they told him they lost his medical records too! He had to start his whole application over. Then they denied him anyway even with all his evidence! The whole system is broken. Good luck but don't get your hopes up.