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HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

http://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions2-46.html[06/20/2017 5:13:26 PM]

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HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAl

SECURITY DISABIlITY OR SSI

APPEAl TAKE?

A disability appeal can take longer or shorter,

depending on the type of appeal that is filed.

Hearing requests (the second level of appeal), for

example, will, almost by necessity, take

considerably longer than a request for

reconsideration (the first level of appeal). A request

for review of an administrative law judge's decision

(this is the third appeal and the review is carried

out by the appeals council) may take even longer

than the hearing level. 

1. The first appeal, the request for

reconsideration - This appeal is submitted after a

disability application (filed with the social security

administration for either SSDI or SSI benefits) has

been denied. The reconsideration appeal is

processed, like the disability application, by a

disability examiner at disability determination

services, or DDS. The reconsideration appeal is

generally processed in shorter time.

Why? Because the reconsideration appeal must be

requested within 60 days of the denial date of the

disability application. This means that when the

reconsideration appeal is assigned to a

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 1 of 6
HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

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reconsideration-level examiner, it will already have

most of what is needed to make a decision. 

The reconsideration examiner may need to request

additional medical records. To make a decision on a

claim, an adjudicator must have at some medical

evidence that is not older than 90 days; however,

for the most part, the reconsideration-level

examiner will already have most of his or her work

already done (done by the initial examiner who,

just a few weeks earlier, worked on the disability

application). 

A reconsideration appeal can usually be decided in

as little as four weeks or as long as twelve weeks;

whereas an application for disability can take as

long as six months (usually, if it takes this long it is

due to difficulties in procuring medical records from

various doctors and other medical providers).

2. The second appeal, the request for hearing

- This appeal is markedly different from the request

for reconsideration. It is not handled by a disability

examiner or by disability determination services at

all. This appeal level is where the case moves

outside of the lower levels and it is distinguished by

the following facts:

a. The social security administration no longer

gathers medical records for the case at this level.

At the hearing level, this is now the responsibility

of the claimant and/or the claimant's social security

lawyer. 

b. The claimant and/or their representative (the

attorney, or non-attorney if the claimant has

chosen a non-attorney representative) will actually

interact with the decision-maker, an administrative

law judge at a hearing office.

c. The claimant and/or their representative can

have the opportunity to make certain types of

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 2 of 6
HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

http://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions2-46.html[06/20/2017 5:13:26 PM]

requests to either the judge or the hearing office

director. The first request, sent to the hearing

office director, is a request for the claim to be

expedited due to dire need, which can be for

medical or dire financial reasons. Dire need

requests usually need to be substantiated by some

type of documentation. 

For example, if a person is in danger of losing their

domicile and becoming homeless due to prolonged

lack of income, they may submit copies of

foreclosure or eviction notices along with their dire

need request letter. 

A second type of request that can be made at this

level is for an on-the-record review. This is a

request for the evidence of the case to be reviewed

before a hearing is even held. 

When an OTR review is granted, it is usually

because the disability attorney handling the case

believes that the medical evidence (and the case

itself) is very strong and that there is a good

chance that the administrative law judge will

approve the claim following an on-the-record

review of the case. 

If a judge decides to approve the case following an

OTR review, it must be fully favorable. Anything

less than a fully favorable request would mean

either that a hearing would still need to be held, or

that the claimant would have to agree to the terms

requested by the judge to approve the claim

without the need for a hearing -- usually, this

would mean that the judge would propose altering

the onset date for the claimant's disability, which

would mean less in back pay benefits, and the

claimant would need to formally agree to this.

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 3 of 6
HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

http://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions2-46.html[06/20/2017 5:13:26 PM]

Return to: Social Security Disability Resource

Center, or read answers to Questions

Related pages:

The Levels Of The Social Security Disability and SSI Application and

Appeal Process

How does the Social Security Disability Appeal Process work?

Is it better to appeal or file a new claim if your disability is denied?

How Long Are You Given To Appeal Your Social Security Disability

Denial?

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 4 of 6
HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

http://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions2-46.html[06/20/2017 5:13:26 PM]

How Long Does a Social Security Disability or SSI Appeal Take?

Will I be approved for disability on my appeal?

What Happens If I Miss My Social Security Disability Appeal Date?

How Do I Find Out How My Disability Appeal Is Going?

Can You Work While You Appeal Your Social Security Disability

Decision?

How Long Does It Take To Get SSDI If You Have To Appeal?

If Your Disability Benefits Are Stopped Can You Get Them While You

Appeal?

Winning a Social Security Disability Appeal or SSI Appeal

Information on the following topics can be found here: Social

Security Disability Questions and in these subsections:

Frequently asked questions about getting Denied for Disability Benefits |

FAQ on Disability Claim Representation | Info about Social Security

Disability Approvals and Being Approved | FAQ on Social Security

Disability SSI decisions | The SSD SSI Decision Process and what gets

taken into consideration | Disability hearings before Judges | Medical

exams for disability claims | Applying for Disability in various states |

Selecting and hiring Disability Lawyers | Applying for Disability in

North Carolina | Recent articles and answers to questions about SSD and

SSI

These pages answer some of the most basic questions for individuals

who are considering filing a claim.

Filing for disability - How to file for SSD or SSI and the Information that

is needed by Social Security

How to Apply for Disability - What medical conditions can you apply

and qualify for?

Applying for Disability - How long does it take to get Social Security

Disability or SSI benefits?

What happens if I file a disability application and it is denied by a

disability examiner or Judge?

How to Prove you are disabled and qualify to win disability benefits

How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition or

impairment?

Social Security Disability Back pay and How Long it Takes to Qualify

for it and receive it

Social Security Disability SSI - Eligibility Requirements and

Qualifications Criteria

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 5 of 6
HOW LONG DOES A SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY OR SSI APPEAL TAKE?

http://www.ssdrc.com/disabilityquestions2-46.html[06/20/2017 5:13:26 PM]

Cited in Mackinac Tribe v. Jewell, no. 15-5118. Archived on 6/20/17.

USCA Case #15-5118 Document #1680566 Filed: 07/19/2016 Page 6 of 6