Sometimes, when a disabled person applies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), their application is denied. There are common reasons this may happen and there are options to appeal.
Reasons for denial
SSDI provides financial support to disabled people to help them meet their daily costs and medical expenses. If the applicant does not include medical evidence to support the severity of their disability or only includes pieces of their relevant medical history, their application may be denied.
Also, if the applicant is given a treatment plan to follow by a physician and does not do so, their application may be denied for that reason as well.
If the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not believe that the applicant meets the disability criteria or if SSA finds that the applicant’s income or assets exceed the required threshold for benefits, it may deny the application.
Appeals process
SSA will send the applicant a detailed notice if the application is denied with information about appeals rights. The applicant can request a reconsideration within 60 days of receiving the denial notice and resubmit any information that was missing or incorrect.
If the claim is denied after a reconsideration, the applicant can request a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The ALJ will allow the applicant to present their case, provide additional evidence and sometimes, have witnesses testify.
If the ALJ denies the claim, the applicant can request a review by the SSA’s Appeals Council and if that is not successful, they can pursue the matter further in court.