What Are the Chances of Winning an SSA Disability Appeal?

The chance of winning a SSA disability appeal depends greatly upon what level of appeal your disability claim is at. Roughly, thirty-five percent of initial SSA disability claims are approved, which means that sixty five percent of all individuals, who apply for Social Security disability, are denied. If an individual decides to pursue disability they should appeal their initial SSA disability denial.

The first level of SSA disability appeal is the reconsideration request appeal, and quite frankly an individual’s chance of winning their disability appeal at this level is limited at best. Statistics suggest that only ten to fifteen percent of all reconsideration appeals result in an approval for Social Security disability benefits. Many wonder why are the approval rates so low at the reconsideration appeal level. Very few initial SSA disability decisions are overturned at the reconsideration level because the same state disability agency makes reconsideration appeal decisions, which, means that the same disability rules and guidelines are used to make a reconsideration appeal decision as an initial disability determination. The only difference between an initial disability decision and a reconsideration disability appeal decision is that the reconsideration is sent to a different disability examiner. If the initial disability examiner did not make an error according to SSA disability rules and guidelines its unlikely the individual has a good chance of winning their disability appeal.

Truthfully, the request for reconsideration appeal is just a stepping-stone to the more important administrative law judge hearing appeal. Statistics suggest that more than fifty percent of disability claimants win their Social Security disability benefits at this appeal level. Administrative law judges have more flexibility in making their disability determinations than state disability agency examiners, thus more individuals are approved for Social Security disability at this appeal level than any other level of the Social Security disability process.

The chances of winning your disability benefits depend upon your use of the Social Security appeals process, if you follow the process to an administrative law judge hearing your chances of winning Social Security disability benefits are good.



For information on Social Security Disability, visit the

Social Security Disability Benefits Resource Center