The Social Security Administration provides disability benefits if you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. You must have a medical condition that keeps you from working for at least a year. Unfortunately, the SSA denies initial disability claims about 67% of the time.
You applied for Social Security Disability when you found you could no longer work. You received notice that the SSA denied your application. Why? You did everything they asked. You need the money to continue supporting yourself and your family. What do you do now?
Denial reasons
The denial letter you received will have an explanation for the denial. Reasons could be:
- You make too much money.
- There is a lack of medical evidence.
- You failed to follow doctors’ orders.
- The forms were incomplete.
Appeals process
The SSA provides you the ability to request an appeal. You have 60 days after receiving the denial notice to file for the appeal. There are four levels:
- Reconsideration
- Hearing
- Review by Appeals Council
- Federal court review
You will start with the reconsideration and can request the appeal online. The person who investigates your appeal is not the same one who made the initial determination. You have the option of a medical or nonmedical reconsideration.
The medical reconsideration asks for your medical information such as:
- Medical condition
- Appointment dates with doctors
- Treatments
- Prescriptions
- Change in activities
Depending on the reason for a nonmedical denial, the SSA may ask for paperwork to support your claim.
Read the denial letter closely to determine why the SSA denied your claim. Collect all the documents needed to make the appeals process easier and faster.