The Four Levels of Disability Appeals

There are four official levels of appeal in a Social Security Disability case:

1. Reconsideration
   After an initial denial, the first step is to request a reconsideration. This involves a complete review of your claim by someone who wasn’t involved in the original decision.
2. Hearing Before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
   If your reconsideration is also denied, you can request a hearing in front of an ALJ. This is your chance to present your case, bring witnesses, and submit additional evidence.
3. Appeals Council Review
   If the ALJ denies your claim, you can request a review by the SSA’s Appeals Council. The council may approve, deny, or send your case back to the ALJ for another hearing.
4. Federal Court Review
   If the Appeals Council denies your request or issues an unfavorable decision, your final option is to file a lawsuit in federal district court.

Can You Appeal More Than Once?

Yes — but you cannot repeat the same appeal level twice for the same denial. For example, if the ALJ denies your claim, you can’t request another hearing for that same decision. You must move on to the next level of appeal.

However, if your appeal is ultimately denied at the federal court level or if you choose to withdraw or stop the appeal at any point, you may start over with a new initial application. This allows you to go through the appeal process again based on the new claim.

What If You Miss the Appeal Deadline?

Each appeal step has a strict 60-day deadline from the date you receive the SSA’s decision letter. If you miss the deadline without a good reason, you’ll likely have to start a new application — essentially resetting the entire process.