The Social Security Administration only approves a very low percentage of applications in the initial stage, which means your claim will likely be denied initially. After receiving the denial letter, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to contest that decision. If you’ve been denied Social Security benefits, the good news is you can still go through the appeal process to win your case. There are four levels of appeals beginning with reconsideration. If you request a reconsideration of your claims, it means the Social Security Administration will allow someone who did not make the decision in your initial denial to make a complete review of your case. If you are still denied after the reconsideration, you may ask for a hearing with an administrative law judge. Before the hearing with the judge, the Social Security Administration may ask you to provide more evidence, or you can voluntarily supply additional information as well. At the hearing, you will have the opportunity to appear before the administrative law judge and other witnesses such as a neutral medical or vocational expert. The experts will provide additional information related to your disabilities and ability to work. If the judge denies your claims after the hearing, you can appeal to the Appeals Council. The Appeals Council may agree with the administrative law judge, or reverse the judge’s decision and make a favorable decision for you. If denied by the Appeals Council, you may then file a lawsuit in United States federal district court if you wish to appeal that decision.
Social Security regulations are complex and difficult to navigate through alone. Although you may handle your own appeals, you may also benefit from the assistance of an attorney. An attorney can help to collect relevant evidence, to make arguments on your behalf in front of the judge, and to cross-examine any experts. They can also help answer any questions you may have. Attorneys taking Social Security cases can only charge a contingency fee, which means you pay nothing unless you win. Please click on the link for more information on Social Security attorney fees.
