What Information Do I Need For My Social Security Disability Appeal?

At Marken Law Group, PS, we help applicants in all stages of their Social Security disability appeals, from initial denial through the appeals council appeal and beyond. It is important to know what information you need to have to appeal Social Security’s decision.

At the initial and reconsideration stages, you can complete an appeal with our office OVER THE PHONE in under 1 hour. You can do this online through Social Security’s web portal entitled “What You Can Do Online.”  At both the initial and reconsideration stages, you can appeal your decision relatively quickly. You need to have a complete list of your medical doctors/mental health counselors and the facilities/hospitals where they practice medicine. You further need a list of all medicines you are taking, a contact name and information for someone who could speak on your disabling condition.

If you were recently denied at the reconsideration level for your disability claim, you have entered a new phase of your claim. You will now be requesting a hearing in front of an administrative law judge. While you continue treatment with your medical doctors, there are many more items that will come your way from Social Security if you are NOT represented by an attorney. Social Security will send you, while you wait and wait for your hearing to be scheduled, MULTIPLE forms which you MUST fill out correctly. These forms include, but are not limited to, Objection or Waiver to Video Teleconference Hearing (VTC), Authorization to Release Medical Information, Work History Report, Disability Report, a CD with your exhibits in file, etc. It is vital to know what you are signing and why. For instance if you do NOT object to a VTC hearing within 30 days (!) they will schedule a video teleconference hearing (not suggested by this attorney). If you do not provide an authorization for Social Security they are unlikely to get any of your medical records prior and you might end up at your hearing, if you are not represented, with little in the way of REQUIRED objective medical evidence, i.e. your medical records. You should, ideally, have questionaires completed by your treating physicians/mental health counselors, attesting to the disabling nature of your condition.

If you are headed to hearing, the biggest preparation is knowing what will be asked of you at the hearing by the Judge tasked to make a determination on your claim. You should have an attorney well versed in your specific judge so you can be best prepared for the questions you will be asked.

The focus for you, or your attorney representing you at hearing, is they have a COMPLETE physical and/or mental health list of who you have treated with beginning a year before you even applied/determined you were disabled. The Judge tasked with determining your claim MUST base their decision on the medical records provided, in part, therefore the more complete the medical record, the better suited you are at hearing.

Marken Law Group, PS, represents claimants from all different levels of their Social Security Disability appeal. We can help today! No Benefits, No Fee! Call or text for your free consultation today.