What if You're Denied?

You get the mail. There is a letter from Social Security about your Social Security Disability benefits claim. It is a denial.

What do you do if you are denied Social Security Disability benefits?

Without a Social Security Lawyer

If you are denied and you do not have a Social Security lawyer helping you with your Social Security benefits claim, do not panic. Many people are unfairly denied at the first two appeal levels. It is important to understand why you were denied Social Security benefits. Look at the decision. Were you working too much? Did you have enough credits of coverage? Were your assets too high for SSI (Supplemental Security Income)? Did Social Security have all the medical records from your treatment?  This information is very helpful.

Then, if you receive your Social Security benefits denial, pay special attention to the instructions on your denial letter. These instructions explain that you have 60 days to appeal your denial. Look at the date of Social Security’s letter. When does Social Security claim it sent out your letter? Knowing your deadline to appeal is a good start.

If you appeal your denial on your own, do it before the appeal deadline. You can file your appeal online or at your local Social Security office. When you are done, make sure to have a receipt. This proves when you appealed. Keep your receipt in a safe place. If you want to hire a lawyer to appeal your denial, do so as early as possible.

At Hoglund Law Offices, we help many clients who were already denied Social Security benefits. We review new calls in confidence, and a lawyer will decide if we can help each new client get approved for Social Security Disability benefits. We appeal denials for our clients, explain time-frames, and give advice about what kind of medical treatment Social Security expects.

If you do not have a lawyer, consider hiring one once you reach the Social Security hearing level. Without a lawyer, Social Security will expect you to gather and submit your own records more than a week before the hearing day. At your Social Security hearing, you will meet with a federal administrative law judge. There will also be one or two government experts who testify about you. You will be expected to know about your medical records. You will also be expected to know how Social Security law works.

What to Do If You Are Denied Social Security Disability

With a Social Security Lawyer

If you are denied and already have a lawyer helping you with your Social Security benefits claim, give your lawyer a call. At Hoglund Law Offices, we help our Social Security clients with many questions, including questions about denial letters. This is a natural part of the process. We usually get copies of the same denial letters our clients get. Calls from our clients help us set up an appointment to process appeals. Our legal team at Hoglund Law Offices contacts our clients who were denied explaining the next steps, gather information, and (depending on the situation) appeal for our clients online. No worries.

Why does Social Security deny so many people applying for Social Security benefits?

This a good question. Social Security gathers records at the application and reconsideration levels, and then outsources the medical decisions to state agency doctors. These state agency doctors decide who is approved and denied Social Security benefits. They do not speak with you. They may not always have the records they need or review them properly.

Quality review is severely lacking at the first two levels of the Social Security Disability claim process. A common practice is to review only the state agency doctors who approve too many claims. State agency doctors who deny too many claims, or who review too many claims per day, often have no oversight.

At Social Security hearings, our Social Security lawyers at Hoglund Law Offices review these state agency denials. Often, we point out errors. Many times, this can lead to approvals for benefits. When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, plan to appeal your claim to the hearing level. Hire experienced Social Security lawyers who do hearings for a living. At Hoglund Law Offices, our Social Security lawyers and legal team are experienced in Social Security law. They are ready to listen to you.

Call our office today at 1-855-780-4357 or our Social Security Helpline at 651-628-4001.