| Six out of ten initial claims for Social Security disability | | | | to file. All the levels of appeal have the same sixty day |
| programs such as SSDI (Social Security Disability | | | | time limit. Should you fail to make your appeal within |
| Income) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) are | | | | that time, you have two choices: prove you received |
| denied. The most likely reason for such a high | | | | the denial letter later than the SSA's assumption, or file |
| percentage of claims being rejected is that applicants | | | | a new initial claim. Obviously, you'd want to avoid either |
| do not provide enough information on their initial | | | | of those if possible. |
| application. It's been stated by at least one former | | | | How long will the request for reconsideration take? It |
| claims examiner that they have denied claims that | | | | can vary from only a few weeks if there is not a lot |
| they felt were valid because the applicant did not give | | | | of new information in your claim and/or the office has |
| them complete enough evidence of the disability. | | | | a light workload, to as long as six months if your |
| If your claim has been denied, be aware that claimants | | | | appeal necessitates review of a large amount of new |
| for Social Security disability are allowed four levels of | | | | information and/or the office is under a heavy |
| appeal. The first level is within the Social Security | | | | caseload. |
| system, and is technically referred to as a 'request for | | | | As you probably know, an intial claim for disability |
| reconsideration'. The next level is a hearing with an | | | | benefits must be filed with the SSA. Once they |
| administrative law judge, followed by an appeal to the | | | | confirm that you qualify under the basic administrative |
| Social Security Administration (SSA) Appeals Council, | | | | guidelines of the program, they turn your case over to |
| and finally in a federal district court. | | | | your state's Disability Determination Service (DDS), |
| To file an appeal at the first level (request for | | | | which uses the SSA's rules and regulations to decide |
| reconsideration) contact the local SSA office within | | | | whether or not your medical condition meets their |
| sixty days of receiving the notice of denial and explain | | | | definition of disability. The first appeal follows the same |
| that you want to appeal. They'll send the appropriate | | | | procedure, except for the fact that your file is likely still |
| forms out to you. Make sure they know exactly what | | | | at the DDS, just requiring that the SSA notify the DDS |
| type of denial you received and which type of appeal | | | | of the appeal. Be sure to contact the SSA to initiate |
| you're pursuing, as there are different forms for | | | | an appeal, not the DDS. When you file your appeal, it |
| different types and levels of appeal. The sixty day | | | | would be a good time to inspect your file at the DDS |
| window is assumed by the SSA to start five days | | | | and make sure it's correct and complete. Should you |
| after they mail the denial notice. Should you be | | | | find any errors, don't attempt to write in the file or add |
| appealing near the end of the sixty day timeframe, | | | | any additional documents - ask the DDS examiner to |
| you'll probably want to go to the SSA office in person | | | | do it for you. |