When you already have a debilitating medical condition that affects your quality of life, trying to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get benefits can drain your energy and stress you out. Managing a disability application or appeal on your own can lead to preventable mistakes and even impact how quickly you adjust to your condition.
It is all too easy for applicants who need Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to make mistakes when they submit their application to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Receiving a denial letter in the mail can feel like a major setback, but it doesn’t have to keep you from the benefits you deserve because of your condition.
The SSA has multiple appeal options available to those who need benefits and don’t agree with an initial determination denying their claim. Requesting reconsideration is the first of those appeal steps. What does the process involve?
You can request a reconsideration online
If the SSA rejected your benefits application for medical reasons, the issue might reflect a bias on the part of the person processing the application. Maybe they know someone who has the same condition as you and very mild symptoms. Perhaps they have previously handled the case where someone with your condition committed some sort of fraud.
In a reconsideration request, a different SSA employee will evaluate whether you potentially qualify to receive SSDI benefits. You can initiate that process online and then wait for what will hopefully be an approval of your benefit claim. You can also submit additional documentation to help strengthen your application if the original didn’t include much medical detail.
Many applicants need to take more steps than reconsideration alone
Often, a denied SSDI benefits claim doesn’t reflect bias on the part of the person reviewing the application but rather some kind of mistake or oversight on the part of the applicant. A reconsideration may also result in a denial and require that you take further action, like requesting a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.
Especially if the inadequate original application was something you attempted to handle on your own, getting help with appeals as you seek your benefits may increase your chances of success.