Should I Request an SSDI Hearing?

If you are suffering from a disability and seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you may be wondering if you will need to request a hearing in order to obtain monthly disability payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). It is extremely important to understand that a hearing is never the first step in the SSDI claims process. Rather, this is a step in the appeals process if you are denied SSDI benefits and you still want to move forward with your case. Accordingly, you should request an SSDI hearing in certain circumstances if you have already applied for benefits and have been denied. Our national disability benefits attorneys can explain the process in more detail, and we can clarify when you should request a hearing.

Have You Already Applied for and Received a Denial of Benefits? 

Have you already applied for SSDI benefits and received a denial? If not, you do not need to request a hearing. Instead, if you are in the process of applying for SSDI benefits the first time, you should seek assistance from an attorney so that you can be approved the first time and will not need to think about appeals options.

Have You Requested Reconsideration? 

Even if you were already denied SSDI benefits upon your initial application, the first stage of appeal is not to request a hearing. Rather, you can simply request reconsideration on a medical basis or non-medical basis, depending on the reason for your denial. If you did not hire a lawyer to assist with your initial application, now is the time to hire an SSDI attorney who can assist you with this stage of the appeal (and can help you if you are denied again).

Have You Been Denied Upon Reconsideration? 

If you have received a decision of a denial of benefits from the SSA after requesting a reconsideration, it is now time to request an SSDI hearing. This is a stage of the appeals process that you should undertake with assistance from an experienced national disability benefits lawyer.

You will only have 60 days from the date you received the SSA’s decision to request a hearing. To request a hearing, you will work with your lawyer to file a written request. Once you request a hearing, you will wait to be informed of your hearing being scheduled. You will receive notice at least 75 days before the scheduled hearing date. At your hearing, you will present your case to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). The hearing will be somewhat similar to a trial, but more informal. The ALJ will then decide whether your case for benefits will be approved.

Contact Our National SSDI Benefits Attorneys Today for Assistance 

If you were denied SSDI benefits initially and received a subsequent denial upon reconsideration, you may be eligible to request a hearing for further appeal. It is critical to know that you only have a very short time window in which to request a hearing, so you should not delay. Given that hearings are complicated, it is more important than ever to have one of the  experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz on your side at this stage of the appeals process. Contact our firm today to learn more about how we can assist you in requesting your appeal and representing you before the ALJ.

Source:

ssa.gov/appeals/hearing-process.html