Why Do Applications Get Denied?
Each and every year the Social Security Administration denies approximately 70 percent of the Social Security Disability claims filed with their offices. The applicants who are denied disability benefits must wait months or even years while pursuing the Social Security Disability appeal process.
Why are so many Social Security Disability applications denied? The reasons actually vary from one case to the next. Some individuals may not actually qualify for disability payments, resulting in a denial of their Social Security Disability claim. Others may have submitted insufficient medical evidence or may not have completed the application forms properly when submitting their Social Security Disability claims.
If your application for Social Security Disability benefits was denied due to a lack of medical evidence, you will need to appeal the SSA's decision to deny your benefits and you will have to submit additional evidence to support your Social Security Disability appeal.
How to Submit New Evidence
When appealing the SSA's decision to deny your Social Security Disability claim, the first stage of appeals that you will need to go through is called the Request for Reconsideration.
If there are any updated medical records that will help the SSA's determination in awarding you benefits at this stage, you should submit this evidence along with the Request for Reconsideration form when sending the reconsideration request to the Social Security Administration.
If your Request for Reconsideration has already been denied, you will need to go through the hearing stage of the appeal process. It is crucial to provide as much medical evidence as possible prior to the date of your hearing. Because some applicants wait a year or more to actually receive notice of their hearing date, it is very common for additional medical evidence to surface while waiting for your day in court.
When you receive notice of your disability hearing date, you should submit all of your new disability-related medical evidence to the administrative law judge who will be hearing your case.
This evidence must be submitted within ten days of the date that you receive the notice of your Social Security Disability hearing.
If it will be impossible for you to submit the evidence within this time frame, you will have to ask the judge for an extension of time in order to submit the additional evidence.
Consult with an Attorney or Advocate
If you are submitting new evidence to be considered by the administrative law judge who will be hearing your case, it may be in your best interests to have an attorney or advocate submit the evidence for you.
While an attorney or advocate may not be necessary at the reconsideration stage, that does not necessarily mean you should wait till your reconsideration request is denied prior to hiring proper representation.
When you work with a disability advocate or attorney, they can review your file and will be able to spot the weak areas in your Social Security Disability claim. These professionals deal with disability cases on a daily basis and know what information the Social Security Administration needs in order to approve a claim.
By working with a qualified advocate or attorney, your representative will be able to assist you in gathering the necessary medical evidence. They will also be able to submit that evidence to the Social Security Administration or the administrative law judge on your behalf.
When preparing the evidence for submission, remember that the more evidence you have, the stronger your claim will be. Even if you think a piece of evidence is not important, you should send it along with the rest of the evidence you are providing to the Social Security Administration.
The more medical evidence you have, the more likely you will be to be approved for Social Security Disability benefits.
