Once you're a year disabled or should be, you can file on line. MANY people here are on Soc. Sec. early, with Medicare and a Medicare supplement insurance (free.)

Once I was denied, (and allowed an appeal), my attorney then took my case. He told me to try it myself first, to save me money on his side, and he knows I am an attorney so my fiance and I did do it. I don't think I'd recommend that to everyone, but definitely to get the claim started and go.

In the hearing room, the SS doc was insulting and stupid but I said nothing, made no faces and let my attorney do his good work. We won.