Requesting a Disability Hearing After You are Denied

If you receive an initial Social Security or Supplemental Security Income disability denial, can you file immediately for your disability hearing with an administrative law judge? Unfortunately, no you must begin what is known as the Social Security disability appeal process and it can be a very time consuming arduous journey for disability applicants.

So how does the appeal process work? Well, if your initial claim is denied you begin with the request for reconsideration appeal. Reconsideration appeals generally take thirty to sixty days to receive a disability decision and are for the most the medical decision will be a denial as only about 15 percent of reconsideration appeals are approved. If your reconsideration appeal is denied what can you do? You should keep the disability appeal process moving toward the administrative law judge hearing, where you have the best chance of being awarded Social Security disability benefits. In fact, about two thirds of all disability applicants are awarded disability benefits at an administrative law judge hearing.

Regrettably, you may be waiting along time for your disability benefits if you have to avail yourself of the Social Security appeals process. Average wait times for disability hearings across the nation are months or even years. Social Security is working on reducing this workload, but with more disability applications being file than ever in the past, Social Security is struggling to reduce this workload.

In conclusion, you cannot request and immediate hearing if your claim has been denied. If you plan on winning your disability benefits you will most likely have to avail yourself of the disability appeal process including the administrative law judge hearing to win your disability benefits.



For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability Benefits Resource Center