SSDI and SSI Reconsideration: What to Expect After a Denial

Key takeaways

• • Reconsideration is the first stage of the Social Security disability appeals process after an SSDI or SSI denial.

  • You must request reconsideration within 60 days of receiving your Social Security disability denial notice.

  • Most SSDI reconsiderations are denied, but applicants must go through this step before they can continue appealing and often have better odds at a disability hearing before a judge.

  • Submitting updated medical evidence and working with a disability lawyer can improve your chances of winning an SSDI or SSI appeal.

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  If the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies your application for disability benefits, you have the right to appeal. Reconsideration is the first level of appeal after a Social Security disability denial. During reconsideration, a new reviewer examines your application, additional evidence, and any updated documentation to decide whether your claim should be approved. Unfortunately, a reconsideration can take several months, and you’re unlikely to be approved. If your reconsideration is denied, you can move to the next appeal stage, a hearing in front of an administrative law judge, which offers much higher odds of approval. Read on to learn more about reconsideration and the appeal process.

What is disability reconsideration?

Reconsideration happens when you apply for disability, the SSA denies it, and you ask them to look at your application again and reconsider the decision. You have 60 days to request for reconsideration, starting from your denial date.

Reconsideration requests are very common because more than 60% of disability claims get denied the first time around, according to SSA data from 2025. A reconsideration is the first stage of the appeals process.

If it’s also denied, your application may proceed to the second round of appeal, which is a hearing before a judge. This process is the same whether you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

What happens during a reconsideration?

After you file for disability reconsideration, the SSA will review your application. The SSA will check whether you meet the technical eligibility requirements — your work history for SSDI and your income limits for SSI.

The Disability Determination Services (DDS), a state agency that makes medical determinations for SSA, will review your medical information to determine the severity of your condition. If you submit any updated documents, DDS will consider them as well.

You may need to do a consultative exam (even if you already did one). The exam is a short, basic medical exam that helps provide additional information to prove you’re eligible for disability benefits.

How long does reconsideration take?

The average reconsideration takes 7 months to process, according to SSA data from July.

Congress Proposes Major Change to Disability Rreconsiderations

What are my chances of winning an SSDI reconsideration?

Unfortunately, your chances of winning a reconsideration are low. More than 80% of reconsiderations are denied, according to SSA data from 2025. However, you can appeal a denial, and the next stage has much higher odds of approval.

Strengthening your appeal

You can strengthen your chances of winning an appeal by submitting additional, more recent medical information. For example, any documentation you have from after the date of your initial application could help show the SSA that your condition qualifies you for disability.

You can also improve your chances by working with a disability lawyer. They’ll be able to help you gather medical documents, write strong answers on your appeal forms, and prove to the SSA that your condition is truly as severe and limiting as you say it is.

Before you appeal, read these 7 tips for winning a reconsideration.

What happens if your reconsideration is approved?

If the SSA approves your reconsideration, congratulations! You’ll start getting your monthly payments with your first one, including all of your back pay. Back pay covers the monthly benefits you’re entitled to but haven’t yet received because the SSA was still processing your application.

The amount of back pay you get depends on which program you’re approved for and how long it took the SSA to process your application.

• For SSDI, you’ll generally receive money for the time between the onset of your disability and the time you were first approved for benefits, minus five months for processing. But SSDI back pay never goes back more than a year before you applied for benefits.

• With SSI, your back pay covers the time between when you applied and when you were approved, minus five months for processing.

Understand how much you’ll get with our breakdown of disability back pay.

Should you get an attorney for reconsideration?

Yes, an attorney can help you with your SSDI reconsideration. Your best option is to talk with a disability lawyer. Applicants with lawyers are three times more likely to be approved for benefits at the hearing stage.

The disability application is primarily a legal process, and a disability attorney will know the best ways to improve your chances of success. Even if you’ve already been denied, they can help you avoid common pitfalls, gather stronger medical documentation, and then they can represent you in a disability hearing.

If you think you might want professional help, Atticus can introduce you to an experienced lawyer from our network. You do not pay the lawyer upfront—there is a one-time fee only if you win disability benefits. Get started by taking a short quiz to give us more information about your situation.

What happens if your reconsideration is denied?

If your reconsideration is denied, you have 60 days to appeal the decision again. The next step is to have a disability hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ).

You have a higher chance of winning at the hearing stage. According to 2025 data from the SSA, 50% of claimants win benefits at the hearing stage, which is by far the highest percent of any stage.

However, you’ll need to be prepared to wait. In July 2026, the average time to schedule and process hearings was 275 days — that's 9 months — according to SSA data. Your exact wait time will vary based on where you live and which SSA hearing office handles your case.

Learn more about what to expect from a disability hearing.

Should you file for reconsideration?

Your decision on whether or not to file for reconsideration will largely depend on the type of denial you received.

There are two kinds of denials: medical and technical. In almost all cases, it’s worth a claimant's time to appeal if they received a medical denial. Technical denials are harder to appeal.

Appealing medical denials

Medical denials make up the majority of total denials from the SSA at the initial stage. If you’ve received a medical denial, the SSA does not think your medical condition qualifies you for disability.

If you were denied disability for medical reasons, it’s more possible to convince the SSA that they were wrong, so you should probably appeal if you still can’t work. . Getting a good disability lawyer can be extremely helpful as you work to strengthen your case. You’ll want to make sure you prove that you see your doctor(s) often for treatment and that your condition continues to limit you even though you’re getting treatment.

Appealing technical denials

Technical denials are less common and harder to appeal. This type of denial means you don’t meet the non-medical qualifications for disability benefits.

For example, you may not have enough work credits because you haven’t worked long enough. If you’re applying for SSI, technical requirements include staying under the income and asset limits.

Most people who are denied for technical reasons simply don’t meet the requirements and don’t qualify for Social Security disability benefits. To win, you’ll have to show that the income, work history, or tax information the SSA has for you is wrong. Log in to your mySocialSecurity account to check your historical earnings, and review them to make sure nothing is missing.

If you originally only applied for SSDI, applying for SSI might be a better fit for you. You can also learn more here about SSDI’s technical requirements.

How to file for reconsideration

You must file for reconsideration within 60 days of the date you receive SSA’s initial decision on your application. If you miss the 60-day window, you’ll have to start the disability application process all over again.

You can submit the forms for reconsideration in three ways:

• Fill them out online through the SSA website.

• Go to an SSA office (find your local office here).

• Print and mail your forms.

If you don’t want to file your appeal online, you’ll need to fill out and submit three forms:

• Form SSA-561 is the main appeal form

• Form SSA-3441 asks for up-to-date medical information

• Form SSA-827 authorizes your doctors to disclose information to the SSA

If you have a disability lawyer, they’ll be able to help you complete and submit all of this reconsideration paperwork. They can also help you gather your most recent medical records.

Bottom Line

Reconsideration happens when you apply for disability, the SSA denies it, and you ask them to look at your application again and reconsider the decision. You have 60 days to request for reconsideration, starting from your denial date. Submitting updated medical evidence and working with a disability lawyer can improve your chances of winning an SSDI or SSI appeal.

Related resources:

Can a Lawyer Help My Social Security Disability Appeal?

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How to Write a Disability Appeal Letter: 8 Tips and Sample Letter

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