No one likes to hear that they have been denied Social Security Disability benefits. However, you can’t take the refusal as a personal attack. The fact is that over 60% of first time claims with the Social Security Administration get denied.
There are many reasons why your claim could be denied, but most of the time it is because the right information is not provided on the application. In this case you can file for a “request for reconsideration,” which is essentially an appeal against the decision to reject your initial application for disability benefits.
The request for disability reconsideration can take two to six months before it gets approved. There are different grounds for a disability claim to be denied, so you need to contact the office and find out what kind of appeal you must incorporate. Be sure to include all of the information you forgot to provide in your initial claim. You have to submit your appeal within 60 days of the denial; otherwise it will become voided.
If the request for reconsideration is denied, it is time to go onto the next level. This is where you have to stand in front of an Administrative Law Judge and argue your case. This can be quite nerve wracking, so you may want to talk to a disability lawyer first in order to understand exactly how to pursue it.
If you find that you are denied by the Administrative Law Judge, there is still a glimmer of hope. You can appeal to the Social Security Administration Appeal Council if you believe you have a legitimate case. If you are denied once again, you can decide to go straight to the Federal District Court. Just remember that a denial of your Social Security disability claim at any one of these stages does not necessarily mean that the whole process is finished. You have to persevere and have patience to prove that you are disabled and get the benefits you are entitled to.
