Since the Social Security Administration denies a majority of disability claims, you should prepare to address a denied disability claim before you submit your application for financial assistance. The Illinois Social Security disability benefits process includes four stages of disability appeals.
As the first step of the appeal process, a request for reconsideration sends your original claim back to the SSA for a second review. Because most requests for reconsideration result in denied disability claims, you also should understand the second step of the appeals process.
Filing An Appeal For Social Security Disability Benefits In Illinois
If the SSA denied your disability claim, you should read the denial letter to learn how to file a request for reconsideration, You have 60 days after the date when you received a denial letter to file an appeal for disability benefits in Illinois. You can file a request for reconsideration at the nearest Social Security office or by calling 800-772-1213 to request the SSA mail you a request for reconsideration form.
Hearing the status of your appeal can take as long as four months. If the SSA once again denies your disability claim, the next step in the appeal process involves taking your case in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). The most common reasons for the SSA to deny an appeal for reconsideration include lack of medical evidence, inaccurate applications, and failure to meet the deadline for filing a request for reconsideration.
Illinois ALJ Disability Hearings
An ALJ hearing provides you with the only opportunity to make your case in a live courtroom setting. Despite the judicial overtones of an ALJ hearing, the ALJ’s role is to review the facts of your claim and then issue a decision that can include sending your claim back to the SSA for further review. If the ALJ hearing your case discovers an error committed by the SSA during the claim review process, the ALJ can order the SSA to fix the error. If the error directly impacts your claim, the ALJ might issue an approval ruling that allows you to receive previously denied disability benefits.
You can expect the ALJ who hears your case to ask several questions. However, an ALJ hearing does not turn into an adversarial confrontation.
Illinois Office of Hearing Operations Locations
Citadel Building, 19th Floor
131 S. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60603
Telephone: (866) 964-1719
Fax: (833) 619-0566
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Northwestern University Research Park
1033 University Place, Suite 200
Evanston, IL 60201
Telephone: (866) 336-6051
Fax: (833) 619-0758
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Suite 201
2301 West 22nd Street
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Telephone: (866) 964-7344
Fax: (833) 789-0411
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
5401 South 94th Avenue
Orland Park, IL 60462
Telephone: (877) 490-9530
Fax: (833) 619-0564
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
3328 W. Willow Knolls Drive
Peoria, IL 61614
Telephone: (866) 726-8293
Fax: (833) 559-0774
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Get Help With Your Appeal in Illinois
A Social Security disability attorney can help you in many ways, such as providing legal support during the appeals process. Your lawyer may organize more evidence to file with a request for reconsideration. If your case goes in front of an ALJ, your lawyer can present your case, as well as prepare you to answer the questions asked by the ALJ.
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