If your SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) claim fails to go through, you need not panic, as the law allows you to appeal the decision. You have 60 days after you receive the denial notice to ask for any type of appeal. At Social Security Law Center, we have over 30 years of experience assisting clients with SSDI appeals. Note that you can request an appeal online even if you live outside the United States. 

Request for Reconsideration 

When the Social Security Administration makes its determination on an SSDI claim, it sends you a letter explaining the determination. This letter will guide us on the reason for rejection, which will inform the approach we will take in the appeal. If the claim was denied for medical reasons, we will assist you to request a complete review by someone who did not take part in the initial determination, and we will include both existing and new evidence. If the denial was due to non-medical reasons such as income, overpayments, resources, and living arrangements, we will file a nonmedical appeal on your behalf if it is appropriate. 

Hearing by an Administrative Law Judge

If you disagree with the Request for Reconsideration determination, we will assist you to file a written request for a review of your claim by an administrative law judge (ALJ). The local SSA office will send regular updates about the hearing process, including a notice of when the hearing will be scheduled. You will get a notice at least 75 days before your hearing. Prior to the hearing in front of the ALJ, we will submit additional information or documents that may be requested, make oral submissions during the hearing, and cross-examine witnesses. Note that the hearing is informal. 

Request for Review by the Appeals Council

If you disagree with the ALJ decision, we will assist you to request a review by the Social Security Appeals Council, which sits in Crystal City, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland. We will do this within 60 days after we get notice of the ALJ decision. Note that the Appeals Council may deny the request if it considers the hearing decision to be correct. The Appeals Council can review your case or return it to an ALJ for further review. Other than requesting for review, we will also help you supply additional evidence to accompany the filing, give comments on the request for review, and confirm with the Appeals Council that your request for review has been received. 

Filing a Civil Suit in a Federal District Court

If the Appeals Council declines your request, then if appropriate we will file a Complaint with the appropriate district court of the United States. We will file the suit for you and represent you adequately. 

Filing a Civil Suit in the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals

If the Federal District Court denies your claim, then if appropriate we will file a Complaint in the 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals.  The 10^th Circuit is located in Denver, CO.

Applying for SSDI can be complicated. At Social Security Law Center, we will help you file a comprehensive initial application and subsequent appeals. We have been doing this since 1990. This and the fact that we only deal with Social Security issues gives us vast experience in the field. Talk to us. We can help you.