Most claims filed for Pennsylvania Social Security disability benefits come back denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The most common reasons for a denied disability claim include lack of sufficient medical evidence and failing to complete an accurate application.
If the SSA denied your claim for disability benefits, you have the right to initiate the disability appeal process, which consists of four stages that start with a request for reconsideration. Receiving the legal support of a disability attorney can help you submit the persuasive evidence you need to submit to receive compensation for the costs associated with living with a disability.
Filing An Appeal For Social Security Disability Benefits In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania requires disability applicants to file two requests for reconsideration before they move on to the second stage of the appeals process. Applicants that do not qualify for disability benefits receive a denial letter from the SSA that describes how to file a request for reconsideration. The denied disability letter also states the deadline for initiating the first of the four stages required for filing an appeal.
Pennsylvania has established a deadline of 65 days to a submit request for reconsideration, which is five more days than most states have set for the deadline to initiate the appeal process. Hearing back from the SSA concerning a request for reconsideration typically takes around 100 days. The appeal for reconsideration does not involve any in-person interactions with employees of the SSA.
Pennsylvania ALJ Disability Hearings
Nearly two-thirds of all requests for reconsideration come back denied by the SSA, which brings us to stage two of the appeal process for Social Security disability benefits. The second stage is the best chance for having a denied disability claim reversed. You get the opportunity to present your case in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ) by submitting more convincing medical and physical evidence that you submitted with your original application and the request for reconsideration.
You can expect the ALJ to ask questions concerning your claim, but the setting for an ALJ hearing rarely turns adversarial as it can for other types of courtroom proceedings. You schedule an ALJ hearing by contacting a representative at the nearest Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
Pennsylvania Office of Hearing Operations Locations
Suite 250
8380 Old York Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
Telephone: (866) 964-7369
Fax: (833) 719-0410
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
8th Floor
2 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Telephone: (888) 352-3691
Fax: (833) 574-0714
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Suite 502
833 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Telephone: (866) 572-9721
Fax: (833) 320-0687
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Suite 2308
1000 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Telephone: (866) 331-2291
Fax: (833) 574-0718
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
One Adams Place, Suite 200
300 Seven Fields Boulevard
Mars, PA 16046
Telephone: (855) 278-4199
Fax: (833) 796-0377
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Get Help With Filing an SSD Appeal in Pennsylvania
If your Social Security disability claim came back denied by the SSA, you have the opportunity to appeal the decision made by the SSA. Filing a request for reconsideration is the first step in the appeal process, although the SSA denies most reconsideration requests. The best opportunity to have a denied disability claim reversed comes in the second stage of the appeal process, which is a hearing conducted in front of an ALJ.
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