Appeal — do NOT refile. Most initial SSDI claims are denied, and approval odds rise dramatically at the hearing stage. You have 60 days to appeal each decision, and representation typically costs nothing upfront.
An initial SSDI denial is closer to the norm than the exception — most first applications are denied, many on technical or documentation grounds rather than the merits. The mistake that costs people years: filing a fresh application instead of appealing, which restarts the clock and usually meets the same result. The appeal ladder — reconsideration, then a hearing before an administrative law judge — is where odds improve most, especially at the hearing, where you appear in person and a judge weighs your testimony alongside updated medical evidence. Each stage has a 60-day appeal window. Strengthen as you climb: ongoing treatment records, and your doctor’s specific functional assessments (what you can’t do, concretely) move decisions. Disability representatives work on contingency capped by law — no upfront cost.
Frequently for incomplete medical evidence, technical issues, or insufficient work credits — not necessarily the merits. That’s why appeals with strengthened records succeed.
Reconsideration takes months; hearings often involve long waits that vary by office. Slow — but back pay accrues to your established onset date when you win.
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