What Is Disability Reconsideration?

To make the strongest disability benefits appeal on reconsideration, you’ll need to:

• Review your denial letter and seek to understand why you weren’t approved for benefits
• File multiple forms with Social Security to start your appeal, including Form SSA-561 (Request for Reconsideration) and Form SSA-3441 (Disability Report – Appeal)
• Update your disability claim with more evidence and the latest information about your medical condition

Once you submit everything, another examiner from the SSA can evaluate your claim and decide if they think your first denial was wrong, and you should be awarded benefits.

How long does a disability reconsideration take?

It takes months to get a decision back. Exact Social Security Disability wait times depend on the current size of Social Security’s claims backlog, among other factors.

It can be hard to know what you need for your reconsideration—which medical records, medical updates, and arguments for why you qualify for benefits would make a difference?

It’s also difficult to get your claim approved at reconsideration. According to recent data from Social Security, around 10-12% of claims are successful at this stage, sometimes less.

Work with an experienced Indiana disability advocate who knows this process well.

At Hanley Disability, we work hard to give you the best possible chance to win benefits on reconsideration. We also make sure you get important information in your file that may help your claim later even if you don’t get approved in this round.

If you get denied again, our team will be ready to help you move on to the next stage of appeals—a hearing with a Social Security disability judge—which could turn out to be your best opportunity to win benefits.

Ask about our FREE case consultations.

Do I Need Help from an Indiana Disability Advocate?

You can request a Social Security Disability reconsideration on your own, but this may be a good time to get professional support.

Our Indiana disability advocates can help you:

• Review your denial letter
• Fill out SSA forms
• Organize your medical evidence
• Add new information and evidence to your claim
• Avoid common mistakes that result in more denials
• Stay ahead of important deadlines
• Prepare for the next stages of appeal if your claim isn’t approved on reconsideration

You’re worried about your finances. You might think you can’t afford to get a trained representative to help with your claim. It’s understandable.

But you should know getting assistance from a skilled Indianapolis disability advocate is less expensive than you’d think.

You pay no fee up front. When your claim is approved in the end, you’ll be awarded backpay to make up for time you waited to receive benefits.

Your advocate gets paid out of that lump sum, and Social Security caps that fee at 25% of your backpay or $9,200, whichever is less.

So you only pay a fee for a disability advocate if and when you win benefits, and you won’t pay a fee directly out of your own pocket.

The Hanley Disability team can help you in Indiana, across the Midwest and around the country keep fighting for financial assistance you need for a steadier life.

Contact Us Now.