Don’t Panic If Your Disability Claim Has Been Denied
Suffering from a disability that prevents you from working can be frustrating, especially when you’re unsure of how you will support yourself and your dependents. But, there is a way out – you can apply for disability benefit programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Well, before you apply, you need to know that there is a high chance of your disability claim being denied. In fact, close to 64% of all disability claim applications are denied at the initial stage itself. But, you are allowed to make an appeal to reverse the decision. But before going on to that, let’s take a look at why most applications are denied in the first place.
Reasons Why Your Disability Claim Might Be Denied
While more than half of all disability claim applications are initially denied, the reasons for the denial aren’t uniform. Since a large number of false claims are submitted every year, the review process is rather stringent. The reviewers at the Social Security Administration (SSA) or Disability Determination Services (DDS) office go through every application for screening out the inaccurate ones.
If your application is filled incorrectly, lacks enough medical evidence, or is incomplete in any way, there is a high chance that it won’t be considered. The same is true if you fail to submit all the necessary documents along with your application. Moreover, you need to submit all of it within the fixed deadline – failure to do so will result in a denied claim.
Also, these benefits are only applicable to citizens of the United States. The country has a total of eight categories that define non-citizens, and if you happen to fall in any of those, your claim will be denied by the SSA.
Again, you can face denial by something as small as missing a phone call! Sometimes, the SSA officials may call you for more information regarding your application. And if you fail to receive the call or call them back within a reasonable timeframe, be ready to receive your claim denial letter. Last but not least, you can also be denied SSI benefits if you happen to violate the income limitation of $2000 per year.
Of course, due to the sheer volume of applications the department receives every year, many accurate claims also get denied. In that case, you can make an appeal for reconsideration.
The Procedures To Follow
You don’t need to panic if you find your disability claim is denied, simply because the majority of claims are denied at the first stage. But, the SSA has an effective procedure in place for all the applicants who are dissatisfied with the initial decision.
There are several levels of appeal, the first of which is the reconsideration process. On filing a reconsideration request, your appeal will be reviewed by a team of medical experts who can reverse the earlier decision. But in case your claim is denied, you can still appeal further. The SSA allows three more levels of appeal consisting of a hearing in front of a judge, a review by the Appeals Council, and the Federal court.
Summing Up
While you can easily appeal against a denied disability claim, it’s essential to first understand the reasons why your application got rejected in the first place. If in doubt, hiring an experienced Disability Denials Attorney can help. The attorney has a better understanding of the appeals process and might be able to help you identify the best way to take your case forward.
For example, if there was some issue in the initial paperwork, or you failed to attach enough evidence of your disability, the lawyer can help you address it during the appeal. Although this may not guarantee that your claim will be approved, it will definitely increase the chances.
