Winning a claim for a social security disability benefit is never easy but if you were denied a North Carolina social security disability benefit (SSD), you can file an appeal. This gives you the chance to construct a better case for eligibility for SSD by providing as much medical evidence as you can that proves you are not able to work for the duration of your disability.
Filing an Appeal for Social Security Disability Benefits In North Carolina
As soon as you receive your denial latter you should file an appeal as soon as possible and you are given 60 days after receiving your denial letter to complete the process. The first stage is the reconsideration stage and if you are still not awarded a disability benefit after an officer has evaluated your claim you should file an appeal with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
North Carolina ALJ Disability Hearings
At the ALJ hearing in North Carolina you will be asked questions which will clarify what you said in your application. If you or the SSA has some experts present at the ALJ hearing, the ALJ will ask them some questions. You won’t be given a decision on the hearing day but it could take up to 30 days.
The ALJ will dispatch a written opinion or decision to you which will state if you were approved or denied. A full approval means that the ALJ agrees with the date you became disabled and you will receive a benefit that is backdated to the date of your disability.
If the ALJ does not agree with the onset date of your disability but still decides you are disabled, this is called a partial favorable decision and the ALJ determines the date of the commencement of your disability and you still get backdated payments.
Sometimes, by the time you get your ALJ hearing date your disability is not so severe and the ALJ may offer a partial favorable decision so that you can collect a disability benefit from the start of your disability to the date the ALJ considers you are no longer disabled enough to qualify for the benefits.
If the ALJ denies your claim, you have 60 days to ask the Appeals Council (AC) to review your case.
North Carolina Office of Hearing Operations Locations
The cities in which the North Carolina ODAR offices are located and the field offices that they serve are as follows:
North Charleston
3875 Faber Place Drive
Suite 300
North Charleston, South Carolina 29405
Phone: (843) 727-4511
Fax: (843) 727-4034
Charlotte
6701 Carmel Road, Suite 300
Charlotte, North Carolina 28226
Telephone: (704) 540-0150
Fax: (704) 341-8949
Fayettville
150 Rowan Street
Suite 200
Fayetteville, NC 28301
Phone: (888) 552-7169
Fax: (910) 223-2187
Greensboro
101 South Edgeworth Street
Suite 300
Greensboro, North Carolina 27401
Phone: (336) 333-5382
Fax: (336) 333-5435
Greenville
300 University Ridge
Suite 200
Greenville, South Carolina 29601-3698
Phone: (864) 242-9154
Fax: (864) 467-1690
Kingsport
2405 South Wilcox Drive
Kingsport, Tennessee 37660
Phone: (423) 246-7351
Fax: (423) 246-3974
Raleigh
4800 Falls of Neuse Road
2nd Floor
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Telephone: (919) 790-2938
Fax: (919) 790-2793
Get Help With Your North Carolina SSD Appeal
It is never easy to win a disability benefits claim and when your claim is denied. You may need an attorney to help you gather the medical evidence you need to support your SSD claim.
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