The Appeals Process

At The People's Representative, LLC, we get to work before a potential denial comes in. Working closely with Disability Determination Services (DDS), we aim to get your claim approved in the initial application phase.

Having your SSDI or SSI application denied does not necessarily mean you are not entitled to benefits. If your initial Social Security disability claim is denied, and statistics show that well over two thirds of all applications will be denied initially, the next step is to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. This appeal should be filed as soon as possible (within 60 days of the date on the denial notice). In most states, you do this by filing a special form called a Request for Reconsideration (some states have no Reconsideration phase. In these states, you must file a Request for Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge). Statistically, this hearing is your best chance to obtain the benefits you've previously been denied, so it is very important to be prepared.

Our representatives will leave no stone unturned working on your case in preparation for your hearing. Some representatives do not meet with their clients until the day of the hearing. Not at The People's Representative, LLC. We will meet with you prior to your hearing to prepare you for it. When the time comes, you will be ready to testify, and we will be ready to argue for the benefits you deserve. On average, it takes 5 to 10 months to get a hearing, but under certain conditions, we can get some hearings expedited.

If the ALJ hearing is not successful, we can pursue your case at the Appeals Council. The Appeals Council reviews hearing decisions, and has the power to "remand" or send cases back to judges when they make mistakes. It also reverses decisions in a small share of cases. It can take about a year to get a decision from the Appeals Council.

If denied by the Appeals Council, we have contacts with a network of seasoned, successful, independent attorneys who can assist you with pursuing/filing a lawsuit in Federal Court. At The People's Representative, LLC, we aggressively pursue appeals where we feel the Administration has wrongly denied our client's claim.

We are highly experienced with the appeals process for denied claims and have helped thousands of clients successfully obtain benefits at the hearing stage, Appeals Council, and through our network, Federal Court. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you pursue a positive outcome.