A serious injury or medical condition has made it impossible for you to work and earn a living. You file a claim for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). You await their decision. Then you get their response: they’ve denied your social security claim.
At Marc Whitehead & Associates we’ve helped quite a few folks who have found themselves in this same predicament. Our advice: don’t give up!
You Have A Right To Appeal the SSA’s Decision
It’s not unusual at all for a Social Security disability claim to be rejected during the initial application stage. In many instances, the denial doesn’t have anything to do with the validity of a claim, but the fact that the applicant simply didn’t supply the SSA with the information they needed to make a favorable decision. Incomplete or incorrectly filled-out forms, or a lack of the necessary medical evidence to support a claim, are just a few of the errors that can get a claim for Social Security disability denied the first time around.
Fortunately, the law gives you the right to appeal when your claim for Social Security disability is denied the first time around. The SSA refers to this appeal as a “reconsideration.” A reconsideration is a complete review of your claim by an SSA administrator who had no part in the original decision. They will look at all the evidence used to make the original decision, as well as any new evidence submitted. After reviewing the evidence carefully, the SSA will either approve your claim or let the earlier decision stand.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-562-9830
Tips for Filing Your Appeal When Social Security Disability Is Denied The First Time
You need to act quickly: you only have 60 days from the time you receive your notice that the SSA has denied your claim in which to file your appeal.
To get the ball rolling, you must request your appeal in writing. You can complete an appeal form (available in hard copy from the SSA, or you can fill it out online at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability/appeal), or send a signed note with your Social Security number stating that you wish to appeal the decision in your case.
You have a right to representation during the appeal process, such as a board certified Social Security attorney. Your representative can answer any questions the SSA may have and submit the evidence required to support your claim.
What happens if your claim is denied for the second time? If you feel the SSA made an error when denying your claim upon reconsideration, your next step would be to request a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge.
Increase Your Odds of Success by Hiring an Experienced Social Security Disability Benefits Attorney
If your claim for Social Security disability was denied the first time, our advice is to hire an experienced SSDI benefits attorney as soon as possible after you receive notice that your claim has been denied. They will be able to review your application and correct any errors or omissions that could cause your claim to be rejected the second time around. A Social Security Disability lawyer can represent you at all stages of the appeals process, from reconsideration to a hearing before an administrative law judge, to an appeals council review or federal court review. It’s a fact that applicants who hire experienced social security disability attorneys to represent them have a much higher rate of success than those who don’t.
Marc Whitehead & Associates want you to get the Social Security disability benefits you deserve. Marc Whitehead is a board certified Social Security Disability attorney who has assisted disabled workers all over the U.S. after their initial claims for disability benefits were denied by the SSA.
If your SSDI benefits claim has been denied and you’re unsure of what to do next, call our law offices to schedule a free, no obligation initial consultation to discuss your situation and how we can help. We handle Social Security disability benefits cases on a contingency basis, which means there are no up-front costs to our clients for our services and we only collect a fee after a claim has been approved. So, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by contacting Marc Whitehead & Associates.
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
