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The application process
While many Social Security disability claims are denied at the initial level,
how you approach the application process remains very important and a carefully considered application
can be the difference in securing a favorable decision right away or waiting several years for an
Administrative Law Judge to hear your case.
At Access Disability Advocates, we know that first impressions matter and we are committed to helping you with the entire process from putting forth the best initial application possible to forcefully defending you on appeal.
In most states the average case takes from 4 to 6 months before you receive an initial decision. The process begins either by completing an online application or scheduling a phone or office appointment with the Social Security Administration. The most important information to have on hand is the last date that you worked, your work history for the last 15 years, and a list of all of the medical providers that have treated you for all conditions starting a year before you were unable to work.
At Access Disability Advocates, we know that first impressions matter and we are committed to helping you with the entire process from putting forth the best initial application possible to forcefully defending you on appeal.
In most states the average case takes from 4 to 6 months before you receive an initial decision. The process begins either by completing an online application or scheduling a phone or office appointment with the Social Security Administration. The most important information to have on hand is the last date that you worked, your work history for the last 15 years, and a list of all of the medical providers that have treated you for all conditions starting a year before you were unable to work.
The appeals process
When an initial application is denied, you have 60 days to appeal the
decision for reconsideration. Once the request for reconsideration has been filed, your case is assigned to a new analyst at Disability Determination Services to reevaluate your case. While it varies with every state, the national average for reconsideration is 4-5 months to make a decision. Because reconsiderations are handled by the same department that made the initial determination, we set expectations with our clients that it is unlikely that a denial will be reversed as a result of the reconsideration process.
Once a claim has been denied at reconsideration, you have 60 days to file a request for hearing. You are expected to complete an HA-501 Request for Hearing and an SSA-3441 Disability Report Appeal which is similar to the Adult Disability Report that was completed at the start of your application. Fortunately, many appeals can be initiated online through the online services section of the Social Security Administration's website or our office would be happy to help file the appeal on your behalf.
Although every state has a different backlog and time to hearing, one of the biggest changes in the hearing process is the ability to have your case heard by phone or video hearing which has helped many cases close faster than in previous years.
Unfortunately, most disability cases can take 18 months or more to come to a favorable conclusion, which is one reason why it is so important to file an application right away.
While waiting for your hearing, our office will continue to gather your medical records for submission to the Social Security Administration so as soon as a hearing date can be scheduled your case is ready to go.
Once a claim has been denied at reconsideration, you have 60 days to file a request for hearing. You are expected to complete an HA-501 Request for Hearing and an SSA-3441 Disability Report Appeal which is similar to the Adult Disability Report that was completed at the start of your application. Fortunately, many appeals can be initiated online through the online services section of the Social Security Administration's website or our office would be happy to help file the appeal on your behalf.
Although every state has a different backlog and time to hearing, one of the biggest changes in the hearing process is the ability to have your case heard by phone or video hearing which has helped many cases close faster than in previous years.
Unfortunately, most disability cases can take 18 months or more to come to a favorable conclusion, which is one reason why it is so important to file an application right away.
While waiting for your hearing, our office will continue to gather your medical records for submission to the Social Security Administration so as soon as a hearing date can be scheduled your case is ready to go.
It is very important during this stage that you stay in treatment and provide us with any updates to your medical conditions as in some cases this can be used to expedite your case.
How ALJ hearings work
A formal hearing is held in front of an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) from the SSA. Whether
your case has 50 or 5,000 pages of medical evidence, the ALJ will have reviewed your entire case including
legal briefs submitted by our office arguing your case. This is by far the most thorough review of your case
by the SSA and, for many claimants, the first real opportunity for a favorable decision.
Before the hearing takes place, we will do a thorough review of your case to make certain that all relevant evidence to your disability gets into the record for review. Once your hearing is scheduled, we will work with you directly to prepare for the kinds of questions that the ALJ is likely to ask you and how you can frame your answers in a way that makes sense to them. Because Social Security law can be very technical, it is important to have a representative at your hearing to maximize your chance of success.
At most hearings, there will also be a vocational expert hired by the SSA. They are an impartial party there to assist with answering questions from the ALJ and your representative to determine if any jobs may exist in the national economy that you are capable of performing. Having an experienced representative at your hearing to cross-examine the vocational expert is a critical part of receiving a fair and just decision.
Before the hearing takes place, we will do a thorough review of your case to make certain that all relevant evidence to your disability gets into the record for review. Once your hearing is scheduled, we will work with you directly to prepare for the kinds of questions that the ALJ is likely to ask you and how you can frame your answers in a way that makes sense to them. Because Social Security law can be very technical, it is important to have a representative at your hearing to maximize your chance of success.
At most hearings, there will also be a vocational expert hired by the SSA. They are an impartial party there to assist with answering questions from the ALJ and your representative to determine if any jobs may exist in the national economy that you are capable of performing. Having an experienced representative at your hearing to cross-examine the vocational expert is a critical part of receiving a fair and just decision.
What happens after the hearing
In most cases, a decision is not made during the hearing itself.
Frequently, a post hearing brief is submitted by our office to rebut vocational or medical expert testimony and to further support the case. In some cases, we will request that the ALJ sends you for additional testing at the expense of the SSA or that a supplemental hearing be held.
In most cases, an ALJ will send a shorthand of the decision to an attorney for the SSA who writes the final decision, although how much of the decision is written by the decision-writing attorney and how much is written by the ALJ varies from judge to judge. This process can be as short as 30 days, or take many months depending on the complexity of the case and the backlog of decisions that need to be written.
Once finalized, the SSA will send copies of the decision to both you and your representative. Within 60 days of a favorable decision, the SSA will send out a Notice of Award (NOA) letter explaining the breakdown of the benefits you will be receiving, including your expected monthly benefit as well as any retro benefits due you. It is not unusual to receive a check from the SSA before you receive the NOA letter, but the SSA can take as long as 60 days from issuing the NOA to mailing out your first check. We recommend that you set up direct deposit with the SSA before you receive your NOA, to further expedite payment.
Frequently, a post hearing brief is submitted by our office to rebut vocational or medical expert testimony and to further support the case. In some cases, we will request that the ALJ sends you for additional testing at the expense of the SSA or that a supplemental hearing be held.
In most cases, an ALJ will send a shorthand of the decision to an attorney for the SSA who writes the final decision, although how much of the decision is written by the decision-writing attorney and how much is written by the ALJ varies from judge to judge. This process can be as short as 30 days, or take many months depending on the complexity of the case and the backlog of decisions that need to be written.
Once finalized, the SSA will send copies of the decision to both you and your representative. Within 60 days of a favorable decision, the SSA will send out a Notice of Award (NOA) letter explaining the breakdown of the benefits you will be receiving, including your expected monthly benefit as well as any retro benefits due you. It is not unusual to receive a check from the SSA before you receive the NOA letter, but the SSA can take as long as 60 days from issuing the NOA to mailing out your first check. We recommend that you set up direct deposit with the SSA before you receive your NOA, to further expedite payment.
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To discuss SSD and SSI claims or appeals, please call us at (518) 377-4204.
The initial consultation is free and we never charge a fee until we win your case. |