~67% of SSDI applications are denied at the initial stage. Of those who ultimately receive benefits, nearly 1/3 won via appeal. Main AI reads your denial letter, identifies which step of the 5-step sequential evaluation rejected you, and drafts your Request for Reconsideration with the right medical-vocational argument.
60 days from the date you receive the decision, at every level. Miss it and you generally must start the application over — losing your protected filing date and months of potential back pay. File the appeal even while you gather evidence; you can supplement after.
Appeal, almost always. A new application usually faces the same result on the same record, while appeals preserve your original filing date (which controls back pay) and move you toward the hearing level, where approval rates are highest.
The most common stated reasons: insufficient medical evidence, ability to do "other work," failure to follow prescribed treatment, and technical work-credit issues. The denial letter identifies which — and that determines what evidence your appeal needs. Main AI decodes the letter and lists exactly what to gather.
At the hearing level, representation significantly improves outcomes and fees are capped and contingent (paid from back pay only if you win). For the first reconsideration step, many people proceed on their own with a well-organized file.
You have 60 days from the notice date to file a Request for Reconsideration. Late appeals require 'good cause' and are not guaranteed. Don't let the deadline pass — most reconsiderations don't even need an attorney.
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