Maybe you were in a car crash, or perhaps you suffered a pulmonary embolism. You have recently endured a significant medical event or gotten diagnosed with a disabling medical condition like cancer. Now you can’t work like you did before your injury. In fact, you may even need help around the house just to take care of yourself.
After years of working to support yourself, you know that you should qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Unfortunately, when you finally hear back about your application, it could be a notice of rejection rather than an approval of your benefits.
Before you panic, it’s important to remind yourself that appeals are often a crucial part of the process that SSDI applicants must endure.
Thousands of qualified applicants face denied claims
There are numerous reasons why qualified applicants don’t immediately connect with SSDI after a diagnosis or injury. Sometimes, the applicant makes a mistake in the paperwork that they submit. Other times, they don’t provide adequate medical documentation. In some cases, it is a mistake by the software programs used to assess SSDI applications or an error by an employee manually reviewing your claim.
There are multiple kinds of appeals available, starting with a reconsideration. Reconsideration involves requesting that another Social Security worker look at your application for a second opinion. Some applicants will receive benefits that easily. Other times, those who need SSDI will have to attend a hearing with an administrative law judge. That hearing gives them an opportunity to provide more evidence and clarify why they need benefits.
A successful appeal can lead to backdated benefits
It can take months before an applicant gets a hearing in front of an administrative law judge regarding their benefits. During that time, they will likely have to find a way to support themselves.
Thankfully, after a successful appeal, they can potentially receive benefits going all the way back to when they initially applied or qualified for them. Those backdated benefits will make it easier for SSDI beneficiaries to regain control over their finances and meet the obligations they previously couldn’t because of their medical condition.
Learning more about SSDI benefits will take the fear and mystery out of applying for them.
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