About Social Security Disability (SSDI)
What is SSDI?
If you are unable to work due to a disabling medical condition, SSDI benefits may be available to replace lost income on a temporary or permanent basis, allowing you to preserve your financial well-being.
Our team of experienced Client Advocates can help determine if you are eligible for SSDI benefits and help you receive the benefits to which you are entitled.
What is SSDI?
If you are unable to work due to a disabling medical condition, SSDI benefits may be available to replace lost income on a temporary or permanent basis, allowing you to preserve your financial well-being.
Our team of experienced Client Advocates can help determine if you are eligible for SSDI benefits and help you receive the benefits to which you are entitled.
SSDI Overview
The Disability Application Process & Appeals
Applying for Social Security Disability can be a long and complicated process, but don’t feel overwhelmed! When you work with Brown & Brown, our team of experienced Client Advocates is here to help you every step of the way.
Levels within the SSDI application process include:
Click on each icon above to learn more
Initial Level
We take pride in obtaining fast and favorable awards. An early award can save months, if not years, of additional stress.
To start a SSDI claim, an Initial Application is filed. The application, which can take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete, discusses information such as:
- Medical providers who have treated you for your condition(s) since you have stopped working, including hospitals where you received treatment, contact information, and prescribed medications.
- Types of jobs held over the past 15 years, including estimates on salary and start and end dates. This includes estimated earnings for the current year and the year prior.
- Other sources of income, including estimated benefit amounts for Short- and Long-Term Disability. Lack of proper documentation can delay payment and result in an incorrect offset payment amount.
- Current marriage information and prior marriage information for those marriages lasting 10+ years, including spouses’ name, date of birth, and estimated start and end date of marriage, if applicable.
Your assigned Client Advocate will work with you to prepare and file your initial application for benefits. After it is filed, your claim will be reviewed by your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office to ensure you meet non-medical requirements.
Assuming your claim meets the non-medical requirements, such as sufficient work credits and citizenship requirements, a medical determination will be made by your local Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency. To verify your eligibility, the DDS office may provide additional questionnaires or request that you attend a Consultative Exam (CE) performed by a doctor chosen and paid for by SSA. Your assigned Client Advocate will work with you to gather all the information necessary to complete the required forms and build a strong case. You will be kept updated on progress, as we continue to closely monitor your application.
Although we are often able to get early awards for our clients, if your initial claim is denied, your Client Advocate will immediately begin the appeals process for you and make sure all required deadlines are met for you to move onto the Reconsideration Level.
Reconsideration Level
A reconsideration provides the Social Security Administration with a second chance to review your claim for an approval.
The first level of appeal in the SSDI application process is the Reconsideration Level, though this level does have the smallest rate of success.
If your initial SSDI claim is denied, we have 60 days from the date of the denial notice to file a Request for Reconsideration with SSA. This will send your claim back through a technical review by your local SSA office and a medical review by your local DDS agency.
Your Client Advocate will provide the DDS reviewers with updated medical records and any changes to your health condition(s) to help with this medical review. Your Client Advocate will also help you satisfy requests for additional information and/or CE requirements.
If your claim is denied at this level, we will move forward to the Hearing Level.
Hearing Level
Presenting your claim in front of an Administrative Law Judge provides the highest chance of success.
The second level of appeal in the SSDI process is the Hearing Level.
If your Request for Reconsideration is denied, we have 60 days from the date of the denial notice to file a Request for Hearing. This level involves additional technical processing by your local SSA office and a medical determination by the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) that is assigned to your claim.
When your claim is reviewed at OHO, you will be assigned to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with a hearing date designated.
The processing time at this level can reach 12 to 18 months. During this time, your Client Advocate will prepare you for your hearing and will check-in with you regularly, to keep you updated on the status of your claim.
If your case needs to be presented in front of an ALJ at the hearing level, we will provide you with an experienced Social Security Disability attorney who will offer compelling evidence as to how your disabling medical condition(s) impacts your ability to work.
After your hearing is complete, it will take additional time for the OHO to process and mail your decision to you.
Appeals Council Review
If necessary, The Appeals Council reviews your claim to determine the next step.
In most instances, the third level of appeal in the SSDI application process is the Appeals Council Review. The Appeals Council is responsible for determining whether your claim was properly adjudicated by the ALJ who reviewed your case.
The outcomes of the Appeals Council are usually one of the following:
- Deny the request for review and agree with the original ALJ decision;
- Remand the claim to the hearing level for a new hearing to be held typically with the same ALJ;
- Grant review and overturn the decision, issuing a fully or partially favorable decision based upon a review of the medical merits; or
- Dismiss the claim.
If your case advances to this stage in the application process, your Client Advocate will advise you on next steps and discuss any assistance we may be able to provide.
Receiving Your Benefits
Even after you are approved, we will be here to answer any questions and help you any way we can.
When you are awarded Social Security Disability benefits, there are typically two parts to this award:
- Ongoing SSDI monthly payments that will continue assuming you continue to meet both the medical and non-medical requirements set forth by SSA.
- A retroactive lump sum payment to cover the time period between your eligibility for benefits and your approval date. This lump sum is typically referred to as you “past-due benefits.”
The team of experienced Post Award Specialists at Brown & Brown will work with you to ensure you receive payment, understand the details of your award, discuss what to do next, and ensure that you are prepared for your Medicare entitlement.
If you have been denied, started the application process on your own or with a different advocate, we may still be able to help. Contact us today to see how we may be able to help you!
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about Social Security Disability? Visit the Sense of Security section of our blog, Absensibility, where we help you understand the benefits that provide health and income security.
Stay informed about the complex world of Social Security Disability, learn about what to expect throughout the application process, and more!
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about Social Security Disability? Visit the Sense of Security section of our blog, Absensibility, where we help you understand the benefits that provide health and income security.
Stay informed about the complex world of Social Security Disability, learn about what to expect throughout the application process, and more!
Need help applying for SSDI?
We can help you better understand and take advantage of the many benefits of Social Security Disability, to help maximize your financial well-being during your period of disability.