Appealing The Denial Of A Social Security Disability Claim

May 6, 2013

In recent years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has come under heavy scrutiny for failing to find a solution to the growing number of unprocessed claims for Social Security Disability Benefits. Now, it seems as though the agency is taking the approach of simply denying claims to reduce this number.

Numbers from the agency show that the SSA initially denies an average of around 60 percent of all claims. This forces the claimant to either drop the claim or begin the lengthy process of an appeal.

The appeal process can prove to be quite complex and confusing for many citizens though, which can lead to quite a few questions being raised. One of the most common concerns claimants have when beginning an appeal is, “What are the steps to the process?”

A press release from the SSA explains that there are four steps to making an appeal for benefits if your claim is denied or if an individual disagrees with the amount they were awarded. Those steps include:

• Reconsideration
• A Hearing
• An Appeals Council Review
• A Federal Court Review

If an appeal is to be made, it must be done within 60 days of the denial being issued.

This is why the Social Security Disability Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin say it is so important to discuss your legal options with an attorney if you are considering filing an appeal of you Social Security disability claim.