You Can Appeal a Social Security Disability Denial & Still Get Relief
You live in Tucson, you developed a medical condition, and you had to leave your job because of it. You looked for resources, you found Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and you applied for benefits.
Then a letter arrived months later with depressing news: Social Security denied your disability claim.
What hope you had for gaining financial stability and continuing to cover living expenses as you seek treatment quickly evaporates.
But don’t stop here. A denial letter isn’t the end of the journey to Social Security benefits—in Tucson or anywhere else.
It may provide some comfort to know you’re not alone. Social Security denies about two-thirds of all applicants in Arizona. You can also recover some hope knowing that Social Security has a tiered appeals process with multiple chances to overturn a denied benefits claim.
The knowledgeable Tucson disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson Disability Law have over 50 years of combined experience navigating every step of the Social Security Disability process, from understanding if you qualify for disability benefits, to applying for benefits to appealing denials, including reconsideration requests and disability judge hearings.
If you have been denied Social Security benefits in Tucson, call us today. We want to help you get your benefits claim and your journey toward financial stability back on track.
Contact us now because you face a 60-day deadline to file your appeal.
The Appeals Process When You’re Denied Disability Benefits in Tucson
As a government program, Social Security must balance its obligation to provide disability benefits against preventing fraud, waste, and abuse of the system.
So the disability benefits program is designed to find every way to deny a claim. But it also provides multiple opportunities to appeal denials.
These are the four basic levels of a Social Security Disability appeal after an initial denial:
- Reconsideration. When you receive your denial letter, you can request a second look. You can provide additional medical evidence to bolster your chances. It’s still tough to get your disability benefits approved at this level.
- Hearing. If the reconsideration of your case again leads to a denial, you can request to present your case before an Administrative Law Judge. This may be your best chance to win benefits. In Tucson, judges have recently approved benefits about 70 percent of the time.
- Appeals Council. If your case is still rejected, you can take your appeal to the Social Security Appeals Council, which reviews the judge’s decision for technical, legal errors. It’s best to have an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer to help you present your case to the Appeals Council.
- Federal Court. If you have exhausted these other steps, you can take your case outside the Social Security system and request a federal judge to rule on your claim. Again, you’ll want a skilled disability attorney to file your case in court.
A government study found that people who brought representatives like lawyers with them to their disability hearings received approvals for benefits almost three times more often than those who went alone.
The Tucson disability attorneys at Slepian Ellexson can guide you through the intricacies and requirements of each of these steps. It costs you nothing up front to seek help from us. You don’t owe attorney fees unless we win your case.
Start with a FREE disability appeal consultation in Tucson.
How We Approach Denied Disability Benefits Claims in Tucson
At Slepian Ellexson, we will take a personal approach to your case: you are unique, your situation is unique, and we provide the attention to detail you deserve throughout your appeal.
Your appeal in Tucson starts with your denial letter. Social Security may describe its reasoning behind denying your claim, giving you the first clues how to get that decision changed.
When you work with us, we offer the following to get you positive results:
- Case Review: We will take a comprehensive audit of your claim to identify gaps or insufficiencies in the information you provided.
- Strategy: We will work with you to find the best path forward depending on where you are in the appeals process.
- Evidence gathering: We will help you locate additional information about your medical history by contacting your doctors and medical providers.
- Hearing preparation: We will put you in the best position to take your case before an Administrative Law Judge.
- Legal arguments: You won’t appear before the judge alone. We’ll be at your side to make legal arguments and question medical experts to convince the judge to overturn the initial denial.
- Filing in federal court: We can prepare your case on your behalf at the highest level.
So if you live in Tucson or anywhere in Arizona, and Social Security has denied your disability benefits claim, keep fighting for the benefits you need to stabilize your life.
The Tucson disability appeals attorneys at Slepian Ellexson have successfully handled appeals for 45 years. Let us help you get some peace of mind in a difficult time.