Taking Your Case to the Appeals Council

If your Social Security disability case is denied by an administrative law judge (ALJ), the next step is to take your case to the Appeals Council, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. In this step, the quality of your claim is not evaluated; rather, the Appeals Council determines if there was any error made in the judge’s ruling.  This includes examining the case for technical, legal, or procedural errors the judge may have committed.

If you wish to bring your denied case before the Appeals Council, you have 60 days after you receive the ALJ’s ruling to do so by submitting your request for review in writing to any of the Appeals Council offices in Virginia. Their review can take up to 345 days, after which they will deny your request, call for a retrial by your administrative law judge or grant your disability benefits if they decide in your favor. If your claim is denied by the Appeals Council, you can then file an appeal to the federal district court.

When you take your Social Security disability claim before the Appeals Council, you will not get another chance to present the details of your case.  It’s a purely legal investigation at that point. This is why it’s important to have an experienced Social Security disability attorney on your side when you go before the administrative law judge and even earlier in the process to help you build a case with the facts and evidence that will give you the best chance for success.

To discuss your claim with the expert staff of Jan Dils Attorneys at Law, call us toll-free at 877.526.3457 or send us a message to schedule your free initial consultation.