If you were denied Social Security disability benefits in Arizona, you can file an appeal. Most claims are denied on the initial review, but more claims are approved if you are persistent and file an appeal.
Many claims advance to the hearing level before they are approved. Here are some tips on what to do if your disability claim in Arizona was denied.
Filing an Appeal for Social Security Disability Benefits in Arizona
If your disability claim is denied, you will receive a denial letter. That denial letter will tell you when you must file your appeal and how you can appeal the decision. You have 60 days to file your appeal. By filing your appeal, your claim will advance to the next level, and you are not starting the process over from scratch.
By reading the denial letter, you will know what additional documentation that you will need to support your claim. You can then file your appeal, which is also called a request for reconsideration, and supply the additional evidence or documentation that your claim needs. If you miss that deadline, you will have to refile and start your claim over from the beginning.
Arizona ALJ Disability Hearings
If your claim is denied on the initial review, then it is also denied on the appeal, you can ask for a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). More claims are approved on the ALJ hearing level. At the hearing, the ALJ will review your documentation and will have the opportunity to ask you questions. So, in a sense, you will testify.
A vocational expert will be in attendance. The vocational expert will review your medical records and your work history then will determine if you are capable of performing any kind of work, and if so, what kind of work you can do. A disability lawyer will help you prepare for the hearing and will help you gather the supporting documentation that your claim will need to advance.
Arizona Office Of Hearing Operations Locations
The Office of Adjudication and Review (ODJAR) conducts disability hearings. There are three ODAR locations in Arizona. Those offices are in Phoenix, Phoenix North, and Tucson. The Office of Hearing Operations (OHO) of the San Francisco region serve Arizona. Two offices are located in Arizona, and they are in Phoenix and Tucson.
The Tucson office serves Casa Grande, Douglas, Globe, Nogales, Safford, Sells, Show Low, Tucson, and Tucson South. The Phoenix OHO serves Apache Junction, Chinle, Flagstaff, Mesa, Phoenix (Downtown), and Tuba City.
Get Help with A Social Security Disability Appeal
Statistics show that claimants with legal representation are more likely to be approved for disability benefits. When you enlist the help of a lawyer for your disability claim, you do not have to pay anything upfront. Instead, your lawyer is paid on a contingency basis. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to get in touch with an independent, participating attorney who subscribes to the website and takes cases in Arizona.
