Disability Claim Reconsideration: Timeline, Odds, and What to Do Next

SSDI Reconsideration

What Is Disability Claim Reconsideration?

If your initial SSDI or SSI application was denied and you filed an appeal within 60 days, your claim enters reconsideration, the second step in the Social Security disability process. A different examiner at Disability Determination Services (DDS), someone with no involvement in your first decision, reviews your entire file with fresh eyes. That includes everything you already submitted plus any new medical evidence you add.

The process is functionally the same whether you applied for SSDI, SSI, or both. If the first examiner made a mistake, or your condition has gotten worse since you applied, reconsideration is your chance to correct the record before your case moves to a hearing.

Medical Denial vs. Technical Denial: Why It Changes Your Strategy

Before you decide how to approach reconsideration, find out which kind of denial you actually received. Your denial notice will say, but the two types call for very different next steps.

A medical denial means the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviewed your condition and decided the evidence didn't show you're disabled under its rules. This is the most common type of denial, and it's the one reconsideration is built to address. New medical evidence, a corrected error in your file, or a clearer functional statement from your doctor can all make a real difference here.

A technical denial means SSA never got to the medical question at all. Common reasons include not having enough work credits for SSDI, earning above the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit, or having income or resources above the SSI limit. Reconsideration rarely helps with a technical denial unless the underlying SSA record itself is wrong, for example, a work credit or earnings error.

How Long Does Reconsideration Take?

Most reconsideration decisions take three to six months, though SSA's own processing data shows the national average has recently run closer to seven months. Timelines vary by state and by how much new evidence needs to be gathered.

You have 60 days from the date on your denial letter to file a Request for Reconsideration. SSA adds a short mailing grace period, but it's best to treat 60 days as a real deadline rather than count on that cushion.

What Are Your Chances of Winning at Reconsideration?

Here's the honest answer: the odds are low. Nationally, only about 13% to 15% of reconsideration appeals get approved. That figure comes from SSA's own annual reporting on disability outcomes by stage, and it has held in roughly that range across recent years.

It helps to understand what that number actually measures. It's the share of claims that get approved specifically at the reconsideration step, not the share of all applicants who eventually win. Approval rates rise significantly at the next stage: claimants who continue to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) are approved at meaningfully higher rates than at reconsideration. We break down the full funnel, stage by stage, further down this page.

A low approval rate at this stage isn't a reason to skip it. Filing for reconsideration is a required step before you can request a hearing (outside a small number of circumstances covered below), and it locks in your original filing date for back pay purposes.

How to Improve Your Odds at Reconsideration

A generic bullet list won't move the needle here. What actually helps is specific.

Get a functional statement from your doctor, not a diagnosis restatement. "Patient has arthritis" tells SSA nothing new. A statement that says "patient cannot sit for more than 20 minutes at a time, cannot stand for more than 10 minutes, and needs to change position frequently throughout the day" gives the examiner something concrete to weigh against the job demands SSA has to consider.

Correct any factual errors on record. Wrong dates, an outdated address that caused you to miss a form, or an incomplete work history can all sink a claim for reasons that have nothing to do with your health. Reconsideration is your chance to fix them.

Add new evidence, don't just resubmit the old file. New test results, a new specialist's records, or an updated statement describing how your condition has changed since your initial application all give the new examiner a reason to see the case differently than the first one did.

In our casework, the most common reason a reconsideration fails is a gap between what the medical records say and what the claimant's daily life actually looks like. A file full of clinical notes but no clear statement connecting those findings to specific functional limits leaves the examiner to guess. Closing that gap is often the single biggest thing you can do before you refile.

Does Every State Have Reconsideration?

Yes. Reconsideration now applies in every state. This wasn't always true, and some guides still get it wrong.

For about two decades, SSA ran a "prototype" test in 10 states and parts of California, where the reconsideration step was eliminated entirely. In those areas, an initial denial went straight to a hearing. SSA began phasing that test out in January 2019 and had fully reinstated reconsideration in all 10 states by March 31, 2020, according to SSA's own Annual Statistical Report.

The 10 former prototype states were Alabama, Alaska, California (Los Angeles North and West branches only), Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, and Pennsylvania. If you've seen a 2026-dated guide claiming your state still skips this step, that information is outdated. Your denial letter will always tell you exactly which appeal applies to your claim, but as of today, that appeal is reconsideration everywhere in the country.

How to File for Reconsideration

1. Read your denial notice carefully. It tells you the reason for the denial and confirms your 60-day filing window.
2. File Form SSA-561, Request for Reconsideration. You can file online through your my Social Security account, by mail, or in person at your local SSA field office.
3. Submit new evidence with your request. Include any updated medical records, a new functional statement, or corrected personal information.
4. Wait for DDS to assign a new examiner. You'll get a written decision once the review is complete, along with instructions for your next appeal right if you're denied again.

Back Pay and Why Staying in the Process Matters

SSA can award benefits dating back to your original application date, and in some cases even earlier, depending on when your disability began. Filing for reconsideration within your 60-day window keeps that original filing date, and the back pay tied to it, intact.

Walk away after a denial instead of appealing, and later file a brand-new application, and you generally lose that earlier filing date. Any back pay would then be calculated from the new application date forward, which can mean forfeiting months, sometimes more than a year, of benefits you would have otherwise received. This is the main reason it's worth appealing even when the odds at any single stage look discouraging.

When Reconsideration Might Not Be Your Best Option

Reconsideration is the right move for most medical denials. It isn't automatically the right move in every situation.

Your denial was technical, and there's no factual error. If SSA denied you for insufficient work credits or income over the SGA or SSI resource limits, and your earnings record is accurate, reconsideration is unlikely to change that outcome. A new application, filed once your circumstances change, may be the more realistic path.

You missed the 60-day deadline. If you're past your filing window, all isn't necessarily lost. A documented Good Cause statement, covering situations like hospitalization, a serious illness, or never actually receiving the denial notice, can sometimes allow SSA to accept a late-but-timely filing and preserve your original filing date. If you don't have good cause, a new application is usually the only remaining path, though it means starting your back pay clock over.

Your condition has changed significantly, or a new condition has developed. In some cases, it makes sense to file a new, protective application alongside an active reconsideration, particularly if a new or worsened condition might qualify for Compassionate Allowances, SSA's program for fast-tracking the most severe, clearly documented conditions. Learn more in our guide to Compassionate Allowances.

There's no single right answer for every situation, which is exactly the kind of decision worth talking through with a representative who can look at your specific case.

Does Reconsideration Apply If You're Applying for SSI Too?

Yes. The reconsideration process works the same way for SSI as it does for SSDI. The same 60-day deadline, the same new-examiner review, and the same appeal rights apply whether you're pursuing SSDI, SSI, or both at once. If you're applying for both programs, a single denial and a single reconsideration request generally covers your disability determination for each. Learn more about how the two programs differ in our guide to SSDI vs. SSI.

Reconsideration by the Numbers: The Full Appeals Funnel

Approval rates rise at each stage of the appeals process. Seeing the full picture helps set realistic expectations if your reconsideration is denied.

*These figures are pulled from SSA's published statistical reporting and shift somewhat year to year as staffing and caseloads change. They describe national averages, not a prediction for any individual case.

What Happens If You're Denied Again?

If reconsideration doesn't go your way, you have 60 days to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the stage where approval rates rise the most. Our guide to what to expect at your Social Security disability hearing walks through that process in full, including current hearing wait times and how to prepare.

How Quikaid Can Help With Your Reconsideration

Since 1993, Quikaid has helped over 250,000 people pursue the SSDI and SSI benefits they've earned. Quikaid is a Social Security disability representation firm, not a law firm. The Quikaid team includes both licensed attorneys and SSA-authorized non-attorney representatives who focus exclusively on disability claims.

At the reconsideration stage, the details matter most: which type of denial you received, what new evidence actually moves the needle, and whether reconsideration or another path fits your situation. Quikaid's team can review your denial notice, help gather the right medical evidence, and manage the filing so nothing falls through during your 60-day window.

You're 3x more likely to be approved for disability benefits with an expert representative in your corner.

Quikaid has no upfront cost. Pay only if you win. Fees are capped by federal law.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Bottom Line

Disability claim reconsideration has low odds nationally, but filing on time protects your back pay and is usually a required step toward a hearing, where approval rates are meaningfully higher. Knowing whether your denial was medical or technical, and whether reconsideration or another path fits your circumstances, matters more than the odds alone.

It's free, there's no obligation, and it only takes about a minute to get started.

This article has been reviewed and approved by Quikaid staff, many of whom previously worked at the Social Security Administration in leadership positions within the disability adjudication process.

Written & Reviewed By

David Wright

Quikaid CEO

NOSSCR MemberMember of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR) since 2010

NADR MemberMember of the National Association of Disability Representatives · Leading Quikaid since 2010

Read David’s full bio →

 

---

 

 

All SSDI and SSI claims are subject to Social Security Administration review and approval. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Quikaid's fee is regulated by the SSA and only applies if your claim is approved. The free case evaluation is provided at no obligation.

External Sources Cited in This Article:

• SSA, Annual Statistical Report, prototype process phase-out and reinstatement (Section 4)
• SSA OIG, Summary Report on the Reconsideration Level of Appeal, June 2020
• SSA, Average Processing Time for Disability Reconsiderations, Open Data
• SSA, disability decision reconsideration performance data
• SSA, disability program overview

Related Articles

• How Long Does It Take To Receive My Initial Disability Decision?

• What Process Does Social Security Use To Evaluate Disability Claims?

• Appealing Your SSDI or SSI Disability Denial

• The Disability Hearing

• Why Is Credibility So Important In A Disability Claim?

Share via: