How Do You Request Disability Reconsideration in Oklahoma?
If you’ve received a disability denial, the first thing to do is review the notice Social Security sent you.
This notice should explain why your claim was denied and provide important information about your right to appeal. When you understand this, your next step is to submit a reconsideration request before the deadline.
You can request reconsideration online through Social Security’s website or submit the required forms to your local Social Security office.
For a disability claim denied for medical reasons, the paperwork generally includes:
- Form SSA-561, Request for Reconsideration: This form asks Social Security to review its original decision.
- Form SSA-3441, Disability Report – Appeal: This form allows you to update information about your medical conditions, treatment, medications and other changes since your initial application.
- Form SSA-827, Authorization to Disclose Information: This allows Social Security to request medical records and other information from your health care providers.
These forms are important because they give Social Security information it needs to reconsider your disability claim. However, submitting the reconsideration request is only part of the process.
One of the most important opportunities at this stage is adding new evidence to your claim.
You are not limited to the same medical records and information that Social Security reviewed when it first denied you.
New information may include the following:
- New medical records from doctors or specialists
- Updated test results, imaging or other diagnostic information
- Documentation of worsening symptoms or newly diagnosed conditions
- Records of additional treatment, medications or hospitalizations
- Medical opinions explaining how your conditions limit your ability to work
- Updated information about your daily activities and work-related limitations
Since the initial decision, you may have undergone additional testing, received treatment from a specialist or developed worsening symptoms. All of this information could be important to your reconsideration paperwork.
You can also include helpful information that was missing during your original application. Social Security may not have received records from every medical provider, or the information available at the time may not have fully explained your conditions. All of this is important to review and include at this stage.
How do you know what important information was missing? You don’t have to figure that out alone.
At Troutman & Troutman, our disability lawyers in Oklahoma can help identify these gaps in your original application. We can update your medical evidence and explain the work-related limitations that Social Security may not have fully considered.
We can also help make sure your reconsideration request is properly submitted and that you don’t miss any important deadlines.
What Happens If Your Disability Reconsideration Is Denied?
Unfortunately, many people receive another denial at the reconsideration stage.
According to Social Security’s data, only about 14% of medical reconsiderations resulted in approval in a recent year.
But reconsideration serves another important purpose: It allows you to keep your original disability claim moving through the appeals process.
If Social Security denies your reconsideration request, you can take the next step and request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ).
At this stage, you have the opportunity to explain your situation directly to a judge whose job is to review denied disability cases. The judge considers your evidence, may hear testimony from experts and decides whether you may qualify for benefits.
You generally have 60 days after receiving your reconsideration denial to request a hearing.
Why Should You Keep Trying and File a Disability Reconsideration Request?
Keeping your claim alive with a reconsideration and further appeals protects your original application date, which can later lead to more back benefits.
If you eventually win benefits, you will receive past-due benefits covering time between your application and approval. Social Security will determine a date when your health first made you eligible for benefits and calculate what you’re owed from that date.
The result can be months or even years of disability benefits paid in one lump sum. The longer your case has been moving through appeals, the more potential back pay.
It can be a substantial amount that makes a real difference in your financial situation.
Rather than giving up or filing a new application and resetting your date, it’s worth talking to an experienced disability attorney about this important next step.
Troutman & Troutman helps people in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bartlesville, Tahlequah, Muskogee and across Oklahoma.
A denial feels like a setback when you are already dealing with serious health problems and financial uncertainty.
But don’t give up. We are local Oklahoma disability attorneys who have helped thousands of people work through the Social Security appeals process, from reconsiderations to disability hearings and beyond.
If you were denied again after reconsideration, we can review the reasons for your denial, identify evidence to strengthen your case and prepare you for what to expect at your hearing.
Troutman & Troutman is a family-run disability law firm created to help Oklahoma families find financial stability when serious health problems interfere with their lives.
Our attorneys have more than 150 years of combined experience with Social Security Disability cases.
If Social Security has denied your disability benefits and you want another chance at assistance that could make your life easier, contact Troutman & Troutman.
Wherever You Are in the Disability Benefits Process, We Can Help
You may be trying to determine if Social Security Disability benefits are right for you. You may be facing a long, complicated benefits application. Or maybe you’ve applied and been denied. Now what? The Troutman & Troutman Oklahoma disability attorneys can help.
Disability Attorneys Answer Your Questions about Social Security
Your life has been disrupted by health problems. You’ve had to leave work. You’re worried about money. Social Security Disability benefits can provide relief, but they’re complicated. You’ve got a lot of questions. The Troutman & Troutman Tulsa disability lawyers have answers.
SSD Questions & Answers »
