If your initial application for benefits is denied, you should file an appeal as soon as possible. Social Security gives you 60 days from receipt of the denial letter in which to file your appeal.
Request for Reconsideration
The first appeal is called a request for reconsideration. When you ask for a reconsideration of your claim, Social Security will take another look at your case and issue another decision. An Indiana Social Security disability attorney can help you complete the appropriate paperwork to ask for reconsideration.
Once you have filed an appeal, you will likely have to wait another two to four months before hearing back on a decision. However, it is important to note that as of 2015, 88 percent of applicants who filed an appeal were denied yet again at this stage.
Request for Hearing
If you receive a denial letter regarding your request for consideration, you then have the option of filing a request for hearing. You have 65 days after you receive your denial letter in which to request a hearing.
This is the stage that takes the longest in the Social Security disability approval process. Applicants can wait anywhere from 1.5 to 2 years for a hearing date. In Indianapolis, applicants have to wait an average of 17 months for a hearing date.
Seeking Help from an Indiana Social Security Disability Attorney
If you’ve already received a denial, you likely only have a couple of months to either appeal it or request a hearing. An Indiana Social Security disability attorney can help you navigate the complicated Social Security disability approval process and represent you in a hearing in front of an administrative law judge when the time comes. Call Hensley Legal Group today or contact us online for a free consultation.