Requests for Reconsideration

SSDI Lawyers Serving Chicago Area Residents

Many people who apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and are legitimately disabled have their claims denied. If you were turned down, you shouldn’t assume you would be unable to get disability benefits by appealing. The first step when appealing a denial of benefits is to file a request for reconsideration. It can be wise to enlist experienced legal counsel when filing such a request. The Chicago SSDI attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca may be able to help you determine next steps in your case and help you assert your rights.

Filing a Request for Reconsideration Rather Than Another SSDI Application

In Illinois, you can receive a written decision about your disability claim within 4 months. Even if your initial application is denied, you may be given benefits in the appeals process. The appeals process entails completion of a request for reconsideration form submitted within 65 days of the date on which you were denied.

You might assume that it’s wiser to simply file another Social Security Disability application. You might think that there was something wrong with the first application and that if you simply try again, you’ll be able to get benefits. However, many people who are initially denied can have their claims approved by filing requests for reconsideration.

Requests for Reconsideration

If you don’t submit a request for reconsideration within 60 days, you’ll need to apply again, and as stated above, the likelihood of being rejected on an initial application is high. After you file your request for reconsideration, the application is returned to the office to be reviewed.

The Social Security office that processed the application will also review your request for reconsideration, but a different examiner will look at the request for reconsideration. Whoever is looking at the request for reconsideration will look at your application and follow the same guidelines as the initial reviewer. Sometimes there is important information that didn’t make it into the initial application, and this can increase the likelihood that the request for reconsideration will be approved. However, requests for reconsideration are also denied fairly often, so it can be important to work with a seasoned attorney who is used to filing these requests.

When preparing to have your claim reconsidered, you’ll need to provide information about any new treatments you’ve gone through for your condition, work you’ve done, and doctors’ visits. You’ll also need to add information you left out of the first claim. It is very important to review your own application and records to make sure they’re complete.

It is also important to ask for reconsideration as soon as you can. Many applicants need benefits as soon as possible, and the only way to obtain benefits quickly after you’ve been denied is to submit the request for reconsideration quickly.

If you were denied during the reconsideration stage, the next step in appealing would be to go before an administrative law judge. It can take many months before this hearing happens, though the hearings are provided a little bit more quickly in Illinois than the average for all the states.

Consult an Experienced SSDI Attorney in Chicago

Often people try to handle their own Social Security Disability Insurance claims. However, a knowledgeable Chicago lawyer can help you make sure that all the appropriate evidence is submitted in your request for reconsideration, and that you met all the requirements with regard to eligibility. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our attorneys may be able to help you through this process. Our firm has helped those with disabilities in Rockford, Aurora, Quincy, Champaign, and Springfield, as well as other communities in Champaign, Sangamon, Adams, Winnebago, Kane and Cook Counties. We look at your disability case carefully to make sure we address all areas of potential relief, such as workers’ compensation or personal injury. We can be reached by calling toll free at 312-724-5846, or via our online form.