Having to suffer from a physical or mental condition that disrupts your ability to work, and carry yourself in your day-to-day life, is bad enough. But what’s worse is when your initial application for relief, via Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, is denied. Continue reading to learn what you should do if your SSDI claim gets denied and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI appeals lawyer at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you in this situation.
Why might my SSDI claim get denied?
Often, an SSDI claim is denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA) because they believe that an applicant’s yearly income is too high. Or, they may believe that an applicant’s physical or mental condition is ineligible. Additional reasons why SSDI claims get denied are as follows:
- An applicant does not provide additional documentation that the SSA requests of them promptly.
- An applicant does not possess any more physical documentation that the SSA requests of them.
- An applicant does not attend a consultative examination that the SSA requests of them.
- An applicant does not meet the time constraints that the SSA requests them to meet.
What should I do if my claim is denied?
The first thing you should do when your initial SSDI claim gets denied is to find out the reasoning behind it, whether it be due to insufficient documentation, missed consultative exams, missed deadlines, or otherwise. All the while, it is important that you continue to document your physical or mental condition, whether it be by attending doctor’s appointments, attaining doctor’s notes, or otherwise. This is because, by doing this, you will be setting yourself up nicely for requesting an appeal.
When requesting an appeal, you will have to follow the below steps:
- File a reconsideration appeal for a second review of your initial application by someone else in the SSA office who did not take part in its first determination.
- If your reconsideration appeal is denied by the other party in the SSA office, present your case in the presence of an Administrate Law Judge (ALJ).
- If your case is denied by an ALJ, file an appeal with the Social Security Appeals Council.
- If your appeal is denied by the Social Security Appeal Council, file an appeal with the federal court.
Importantly, you will only have 60 days after your initial claim is denied to request this appeal. We understand just how lengthy and complex this appeals process can be, and we believe that you should not go through this alone. Instead, we believe that you will be on the best track toward success when you retain the services of a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney today. Call us today; we look forward to serving you.
