No. 12 – Help! My claim for disability benefits has been denied. What should I do next?

The second step in the Social Security Disability evaluation process is filing a request for reconsideration. There are some secrets that you need to know:

(1) when you file your request for reconsideration, provide updated information regarding any visits you’ve made to doctors, hospitals, and clinics since you filed your initial application together with the addresses of those medical providers;

(2) If you have the most recent medical records, submit them with your request for reconsideration. Why? Your request for reconsideration can be held up while the office of disability determinations waits for your updated medical records. However, keep a copy of your request for reconsideration and the medical records that you have submitted. Send this information to the Social Security Administration by certified mail, return receipt requested;

(3) Keep a copy of your original disability application and review it when you submit your request for reconsideration. Why? Unfortunately, Social Security Disability applicants will sometimes leave off the names and addresses of medical providers or even forget physical or mental conditions for which they have been treated. If you have forgotten something, you want to include that information on your reconsideration appeal;

(4) Consult with Cavey & Barrett before you turn in your request for reconsideration. You have sixty (60) days to file your request for reconsideration, and every day you wait adds more time to the process. Schedule an appointment with Cavey & Barrett so they can review your initial Social Security Disability application, the denial letter you received from the Social Security Administration, and help you properly prepare and timely submit your request for reconsideration.

Answering these broad-based questions isn’t easy. Help is a phone call away. You can contact Nancy Cavey, an experienced long-term disability attorney at 727-894-3188.