Our Disability Attorneys can Take Your Appeal Before an Administrative Law Judge and the Appeals Council
If you are denied benefits after a reconsideration, the SSA offers two additional levels of appeal.
The two levels of appeal within the SSA are:
- A hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and
- An appeal before the SSDI Appeals Council.
Our attorneys can represent you at both levels, and they’ll continue to challenge the SSA until you receive the benefits you deserve.
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Important Things to Know
What is an ALJ Hearing?
An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing is a legal proceeding conducted by a judge within the SSA. The goal is to determine if you are eligible for Social Security benefits.
The following often takes place during the hearing process:
- The ALJ will ask you questions about your disability, past employment, and ability to perform daily tasks.
- You can submit new evidence, and the ALJ may call witnesses, such as a medical or vocational expert.
- Your attorney can object to certain evidence and witness statements.
- The ALJ will consider all the evidence and issue a written decision.
The ALJ can decide to either deny your benefits or approve them.
Our attorneys will prepare you for the ALJ hearing process, and we will provide tireless representation before the ALJ.
What is Review by the Appeals Council?
You have the right to appeal your SSD or SSI case to the Appeals Council if your claim was denied after an ALJ hearing.
The SSA Appeals Council does not hold new hearings, but rather reviews the ALJ’s decision to see if it was made correctly and whether the ALJ committed any errors.
.The Appeals Council can either:
- Deny your request for review, letting the ALJ’s decision stand,
- Remand the case back to the ALJ for further review, or
- Review and issue its own decision.
At this stage, our disability lawyers will look for issues that the ALJ might have missed when reviewing your file, or information that has become available since you first filed your application.
Empowered Disability is Here to Help!
Our SSD attorneys know what makes for a strong claim, and our experience becomes your advantage as you seek the benefits you are entitled to.
We can take on an ALJ and/or the Appeals Council and fight tooth and nail for what you are entitled to.
We offer a free consultation, and if provided, you are under no obligation to hire us.