If you receive a denial from Social Security you may be asking yourself what’s next? There are two different types of denials that the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses. The first is a technical denial. This means you don’t meet the technical requirements to qualify for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits. The most common technical denial is that you are no longer covered under Social Security disability insurance. Generally, you have five years of coverage after you stop working. Of course, that’s assuming you have paid enough into the insurance program to be covered in the first place.
The second type of denial is medical denial. This means SSA determined your medical conditions are not severe enough to prevent you from doing your past work or any other type of work in the national economy.
If you receive a denial, don’t get discouraged. Usually, about 70% of initial applications are denied. If your denial is based on medical reasons it may be as simple as SSA not believing you will be out of work for 12 months. Or maybe you don’t have enough medical treatment at this point to support the severity of your condition. Whatever the reason, you should contact a Social Security attorney and ask for their recommendations. Usually, the answer is to appeal.
Applying for Social Security disability benefits is not a quick and easy task. It usually takes several denials, appeals, and a hearing before a final decision can be made. When you hire an SSD attorney you relieve yourself of the stress and headaches of dealing with SSA, worrying about time frames to appeal denials, and completing all of the paperwork that goes along with denial. A good attorney will advise if your case is worth appealing or not. They will handle the paperwork and correspond with SSA. Any fee the attorney would receive is dependent upon your being approved benefits! So do yourself a favor and call a local SSD attorney for advice and representation!
