Social Security Disability Benefits Appeal - Hiring An Attorney

By: Louis Zhang

If a person applies for social security disability benefits from the United States social security administration, their eligibility, claim circumstances and amount will all be considered as part of the decision making process.

If they send an employee their decision and he or she does not agree with what they have stated, they can begin the process of appeal. The social security disability appeal process begins when a claimant who is seeking benefits sends a letter of request within 60 days of receiving the letter from the Social Security Administration.

What is Social Security?

The United States social security system can be easily explained in relatively simple terms.

The Social Security act affects the entire working population of the United States, including employer, employees, and the self-employed. Each working individual must contribute a certain amount from their personal pay checks to social security in the form of tax.

The Social Security system is a safety net that many people use to protect themselves. Benefits like retirement benefits, survivor benefits and disability benefits provide people with the money they need when life makes it impossible to continue to work as usual.

A large number of American citizens wish to use the Social Security system to provide their families with a greater degree of financial security. Benefit payments can be classified in a number of ways, such as survivor's benefits, retirement benefits, and disability benefits.

The way to earn this social security protection is to either be self-employed or to obtain a job with benefits and coverage. One has to make sure they pay their taxes either way to be granted this kind of protection for the future.

Upon retirement, each person receives a certain number of credits based on when they were born and their current age. The number of credits you have will determine the amount of benefits that you and your family receive when you retire.

Explaining the Appeal Process

The process of appeal for disability benefits begins when a rejected claimant sends the organization a Request for Reconsideration.

If the initial appeal is also rejected, the claimant can then request to be granted hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to pursue the appeal.

If this fails, then the next appeal will go to the Social Security Appeal Council (SSAC) who will consider the accuracy of ruling by the ALJ and make a decision.

Finally you can take your claim to the Federal Court for review.

It is recommended that the appeal process be handled by a social security disability lawyer, who typically works on a contingency basis, to have the best chances of receiving claims. Contrary to myths about the process, a large percentage of people do win their cases after the initial rejection.

It is therefore advisable for you to begin the social security disability appeal process early, as your appeal may take weeks or even month to process. You should also hire a good lawyer with expertise in this area to represent your interests.