It’s frustrating to suffer from a disability that keeps you from working – and even more frustrating to wait months after filing your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claim only to get a cold, flat denial in the mail.
You have the option to file an appeal, called a reconsideration, on your claim within 60 days of the initial denial, but what good will that do you? Here’s what you need to know.
This is your chance to put together a better claim
Basically, here’s what happens when you file your first appeal:
- The file is retrieved from the state Disability Determination Services (DDS) and you’re asked to update the file with any new or missing medical information.
- The file is returned to the DDS, where it receives a new examination by a new team of professionals, including a claims examiner, a physician and a vocational/occupational expert.
- Your claim is then either approved or denied. If it’s denied, you then have an option for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ), but that can take up to a year or longer.
The wisest move you can make is to examine your denial letter for clues to why your claim was denied and try to remedy the issues.
Quite often, the problem is missing medical information. A lot of medical offices aren’t good about responding to requests for information from the DDS, and that means that the information won’t be considered when your claim is decided.
Legal guidance before you file your reconsideration can help you get through this process much more easily. It can also make it easier to get your file into shape and provide DDS and Social Security with the information they need to get your disability claim approved.
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