Most of our California readers probably know that approximately 60 percent of the applications that the Social Security Administration receives for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are denied. The work and medical requirements that need to be met for an application for SSD benefits to be approved are part of a process designed to ensure that only qualified applicants receive benefits. So, if a Los Angeles resident is denied Social Security Disability benefits, is that person unable to ever apply for SSD benefits again? As was noted in a recent news article, the answer is, “no.”
The recent article pointed out that a person can make a second attempt to apply for SSD benefits, but such an attempt should only occur if some specific circumstances have changed since the first application.
And, it is important to know why the first application was denied to begin with. Did you not have the requisite work credits to qualify for SSD benefits? Or, was your medical condition deemed not to qualify as a “disability” as that term is defined by the Social Security Administration? Know why your application was denied, and you will be more aware of what you need to point to as a change in circumstances on the second attempt.
Of course, a full-on second application would only be necessary if the applicant exhausted all appeal options from the initial denial of benefits. Any Los Angeles residents who have been denied Social Security Disability benefits may want to get more information about their legal options after the initial denial.
Source: Grand Forks Herald, “SOCIAL SECURITY Q&A: Can I apply for Social Security disability again?,” H. Koss, Oct. 3, 2015
