Social Security disability claimants who have been denied repeatedly by the Social Security Administration for benefits will sometimes lose track of where they are in the process or how many times they’ve actually been denied benefits. One thing they commonly remember though is the first time they applied for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits whether is was two days ago or 10 years ago. At some point these claimants want to know if Social Security is going to look back to the date in which they first applied, even though they’ve been medically denied since then, to find them disabled. The most likely answer is no, but there is an exception and it is possible to open up prior claims.
Typically, when Social Security makes a medical determination on a claim and that claim is either not appealed, or the appeals process has been exhausted, that decision is final. The exception is that Social Security always allows the possibility of going back to a prior claim to award applicants, but it is extremely rare.
It is sometimes possible to open up prior claims if a medical condition has been an ongoing situation, but evidence must clearly support the applicant was disabled back during a prior claim. Your representative should always be asking the Social Security Administration to consider opening prior claims if the medical evidence exists to do so.
Some other types of cases, where the medical denials were incomplete, unclear or misleading, create other opportunities to open up older claims. The ability to open up prior claims within the Social Security disability process can mean much more due in past-due benefits for a claimant.
To learn more about the possibility of opening prior Social Security disability claims click here
