75% of People Are Denied SSD Benefits on their 1st Application – Try Again!
Posted in Social Security Disability on August 29, 2016
You’ve submitted your application for benefits, completed all required forms and have been diligently attending doctor’s appointments related to your injury or illness; and yet you receive a letter in the mail from the Social Security Disability office that states you have been denied benefits. This can be disheartening, frustrating and may cause you to think you’re out of luck. But wait! According to the Social Security Administration, you are among the 75% that are turned down after their first submission of their applications. There are more steps that can be taken, more things that can be done, and more hope than you may think.
The filing process for Social Security Disability benefits typically involves three phases.
- Initial Application
- Request for Reconsideration
- Request for Hearing
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It will begin with the initial application, followed by an appeal known as the “Request for Reconsideration”, and then followed by a second appeal known as the “Request for Hearing”. Some extreme and convincing claims may be approved with their initial application; however, this is only the case with about 25% of all Social Security Disability applications. Whether you are currently receiving your first or second denial letter, you have a 60-day window to submit an appeal for your case. This is very important to note, given that not filing an appeal within that 60 days would require you to re-file an initial application. This will prolong the process even further as benefit amounts and time considered in back pay will all be relative to the date of your initial application. When time for appeal lapses, you may also lose your good standing with Social Security, causing you to lose your rights to receive benefits altogether.
Appeals may be submitted online or in person at the Social Security Disability office in your area. It is important to note that the months immediately following the submission of an appeal will seem rather quiet. Don’t fret! Your application has not been forgotten. Instead, your name has been added to a list of other applicants patiently waiting to be given reconsideration or scheduled for a hearing. The hearing level is where decisions are made. At a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, you and your legal representative are provided the opportunity to defend your claim of disability live and in person. The rate of approval increases significantly for applications taken to the hearing level, as you and your legal representative are given the chance to put a face and voice behind your medical and work history records on file.
The application process for Social Security Disability can seem daunting and overwhelming. Ann-Douglas Tycer has 26 years of experience representing Social Security Disability claimants and has the process’ ins and outs down to a science. Having dedicated legal representation on your side will influence a positive outcome for your case. Contact Nashville personal injury lawyer Ann-Douglas Tycer with Larry Williams, PLLC for help with your Social Security Disability appeal today!
Honest Advice. It’s what we do. Ann-Douglas Tycer with Larry R. Williams, PLLC Attorneys At Law.