Submitted by JFussy on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 08:42
I had my SSDI benefits denied by an Administrative Law Judge and my attorney appealed it to the Social Security Appeals Council for me. The appeal took forever and when we finally got it back, another rejection, there was no information in the letter about why my disability is being denied. My attorney is also frustrated and says there is no way to know for sure why the SSDI claim was rejected. He says he has some theories but he can't be sure. Is that so?
Decision of Appeals council
Yes, unfortunately, the letter you probably got uses such helpful and instructional language as (insert sarcastic tone here) "we found no reason to review the Administrative Law Judge's decision." Not a lot to work with there. Your attorney, I'm sure, can come up with one or more theories about why your SSDI benefits where denied. The good news is that, if you decide to appeal or file a new claim, you and your attorney can learn quite a bit from the initial denial letter and the Administrative Law Judge's opinion. You may be able to use that information to improve your chances on appeal or to, in a new claim, develop a strategy that addresses whatever concerns lead to your denial of SSDI benefits. Good luck.