A denial isn’t the end of your claim. Most people who apply for SSDI are turned down the first time, and many of them are approved later on appeal. You have 60 days from the date you receive the letter to appeal. Don’t start a new application. Appeal the one you have.
Key takeaways
- The 60-day clock starts when you receive the notice. Social Security assumes that’s five days after the date printed on it.
- Appealing keeps your original filing date, which protects your back pay. A new application throws it away.
- Your denial letter states the reason. Fixing that specific reason is the whole job of your appeal.
- Approval odds are generally best at the hearing stage, where a judge hears from you directly.
First, read the letter the right way
The notice is long and reads like a form, but only a few parts matter. Here’s where to look.
| Part of the letter | What it tells you | What to do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Date at the top | Starts your appeal deadline | Count 65 days forward and mark the calendar |
| “We have determined…” | The decision and whether it was medical or technical | Technical denials need paperwork, not medical evidence |
| List of sources | Every record the examiner reviewed | Look for what’s missing. This is often the key to the appeal |
| Explanation paragraph | The reason in plain words, such as “you can do other work” | Match it to one of the six reasons below |
| “If you disagree” | How to appeal | File online or with Form SSA-561 |
The list of sources is where most people find the problem. If your specialist, your hospital stay, or your most recent MRI isn’t on it, the examiner never saw it.
The 6 most common reasons for denial
1. Not enough medical evidence
This is the big one. Your records didn’t show how your condition limits what you can do. A diagnosis alone isn’t enough. Fix: send the missing records and ask your doctor for a written statement about specific limits, such as how long you can sit, stand, lift, or concentrate.
2. You earn too much
If you’re working and earning over $1,770 a month in 2027, Social Security generally won’t consider you disabled, whatever your medical records say. Fix: if your earnings were lower than Social Security thought, or your employer gives you special help to keep working, document it.
3. Not enough work credits
SSDI is insurance you pay for through payroll taxes. Most adults need 40 credits, with 20 earned in the 10 years before the disability began. Younger workers need fewer. Fix: check your earnings record for missing years. If you really are short on credits, look at SSI, which is based on financial need instead of work history.
4. Your condition won’t last 12 months
Social Security only covers disabilities expected to last at least a year or result in death. Fix: a statement from your doctor about your long-term outlook.
5. You didn’t cooperate
Missing a consultative exam, not returning forms, or being impossible to reach will get a claim denied. Fix: explain why in your appeal, and respond to everything from this point on. Update your address and phone number.
6. Social Security thinks you can do other work
The examiner agreed you can’t do your old job but decided you could do something less demanding. Age matters a lot here. The rules get more favorable at 50 and again at 55. Fix: evidence about the limits that rule out even sit-down work, such as needing to lie down during the day, missing several days a month, or trouble using your hands.
Your next steps, in order
- Find your deadline. Take the date on the letter and add 65 days.
- File a Request for Reconsideration online at ssa.gov or with Form SSA-561. Do this first, even before you have new evidence. You can add evidence afterward.
- Request a copy of your claim file so you can see exactly what the examiner had.
- Fill the gap. Get the missing records and the doctor’s statement about your limits.
- Keep going to treatment. Gaps in care are read as improvement.
- If reconsideration is denied, request a hearing within 60 days with Form HA-501.
Appeal or start over?
Appeal, in nearly every case. Say you applied in January 2026 and were denied in September. If you appeal and win in mid-2027, your back pay can reach back to 2026. If you file a new application in October instead, your claim starts over, and the same evidence usually gets the same answer.
The main exception is a technical denial you can’t fix, such as too few work credits.
Should you get help?
You’re allowed to handle an appeal yourself, and at reconsideration plenty of people do. At the hearing stage, most applicants bring a representative. Disability representatives are paid only if you win, and the fee is set by federal rules: 25% of your back pay, up to a cap, taken out by Social Security before you’re paid. You don’t pay anything up front.
Common questions
I missed the 60-day deadline. Now what?
Ask for more time in writing and explain why. Social Security can accept a late appeal for good cause, such as a hospital stay, a death in the family, or never receiving the notice.
How long does reconsideration take?
Usually several months. Use that time to get the evidence the first reviewer didn’t have.
