How to Appeal a Denied SSDI Claim

What Is Request For Reconsideration, and How Can You Boost Your Chance of Success?

If your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) gets denied, don’t despair. Only about one-quarter of applicants in Georgia receive SSDI approval on their initial application. You may file a Request for Reconsideration – also known as the first appeal – to overturn the Social Security Administration’s denial of your claim. The reconsideration request must be filed within 60 days of the initial claim’s denial, but the sooner it is filed, the better. Miss this deadline, and you must start the entire application process from square one.

Only about 12 percent of reconsideration requests are approved in Georgia, but there are a few ways you can boost these long odds in your favor – for instance, you can hire a qualified SSDI lawyer to guide and advise you.

Request for Reconsideration

The Request for Reconsideration is the first appeal a denied claimant may file in Georgia. It is conducted the same way as your first application, except that another disability examiner and physician evaluate your case.

Refuting Denial

You can get a copy of your claim file from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and review it. While the SSA will not necessarily release all of the doctor’s reports, your lawyer should be able to get this information. If you and your attorney believe the reasons for the denial are in error, you can refute them for the Request for Reconsideration.

New Material

Provide relevant new material to your reconsideration request. For instance: updates about your doctor’s visits, medication, and new treatments.

Look over your initial application carefully, and ensure you did not leave out any pertinent information regarding your medical condition or work history. An unintentional omission could have made the difference in the original denial, and it could affect the Request for Reconsideration.

Another Step

It can take eight or nine months for a reconsideration decision. However, if your Request for Reconsideration is denied, there are more steps you can take. For example, the next phase could involve an appearance before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).