When people become disabled, it usually becomes vitally important that they find a way to make ends meet financially. This is because, with a disability, working and being self-sufficient may be either extremely difficult or impossible. For disabled people who can no longer support themselves sufficiently, Social Security Disability is a program that offers a lifeline to benefits.
Applying for benefits in Michigan can be complicated. The process contains several different elements, paperwork has to be submitted properly and according to stringent timelines and in the end it’s possible for an application for benefits to be denied. What can people do in this situation if they are disabled and unable to earn a living?
Getting more information about the Social Security Disability process can help. There are legal concerns when filing Social Security Disability appeals, which themselves can be complicated. If a person’s initial application for benefits has been denied, the applicant can file what is known as a request for reconsideration in most states. Typically, this needs to be done as soon as possible after the initial denial, or at least within 60 days.
About how long does it take the Social Security Administration to make a reconsideration decision? Usually this decision is made within about four months. Having the right information can clarify the reconsideration process immensely. If a denial should occur at the reconsideration level, a claim may then proceed to a hearing before an administrative law judge or an appeals council hearing. Facing an initial denial of SSD benefits doesn’t have to be the end.
Source: National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives, “If you’ve been denied,” accessed Nov. 26, 2016