The Social Security Administration (SSA) receives countless applications for disability benefits on an annual basis. The federal agency denies at least 50% of the ones that they receive. There are varied reasons as to why these denials occur.
Each application for benefits that an individual submits to the SSA is assigned to a reviewer. That individual is responsible for looking at an applicant’s medical records to see if they adequately support their diagnosis and to see if it’s included on the listing of impairments. An applicant may only be approved to receive benefits if their condition is listed there and it’s deemed to be terminal or to affect that person’s ability to work.
An individual may be denied benefits if their medical records show that they failed to follow their doctors’ orders for treatment. There are some exceptions to this rule though.
If you’re shown to have a medical condition that prohibits you from following the treatment plan that your doctor has recommended, then you may be able to file an appeal of your denial. You may also be able to request another review of your file if the treatment plan that your doctor recommends wasn’t appropriate for your condition, it went against your religious beliefs or was unaffordable for you.
You may also have your application for Social Security Disability (SSD) denied if the SSA cannot make contact with you, they don’t feel as if they received comprehensive medical records or they find that your condition isn’t likely to persist for more than a year. If you make more than $940 each month, then you may also be denied SSD benefits.
Applicants are generally given a 60-days to appeal an SSA reviewer’s denial. You may have to re-file for benefits if you don’t submit the appeal within that time frame. Many individuals’ applications get denied when applicants reapply for benefits. An attorney can review the information that you’ve compiled and give you feedback about your chances of having your application approved this time here in Oklahoma City.