Press Release Summary: WASHINGTON DC - The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently announced the suspension of the rule-making provision in the disability appeals process. In his January 29th letter to Rep. Michael R. McNulty, chairman of the House Ways and Means, Social Security Subcommittee, SSA commissioner Michael Astrue stated that the agency had decided to suspend part of the provision in the appeals process, specifically the 'the five-day rule' on submission of evidence, following appeals from the public.
Press Release Body: WASHINGTON DC - The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently announced the suspension of the rule-making provision in the disability appeals process. In his January 29th letter to Rep. Michael R. McNulty, chairman of the House Ways and Means, Social Security Subcommittee, SSA commissioner Michael Astrue stated that the agency had decided to suspend part of the provision in the appeals process, specifically the 'the five-day rule' on submission of evidence, following appeals from the public.
Astrue further said that the suspension was also made in consideration of the concerns raised by the public and some members of Congress. Claimants had earlier complained that it would be difficult for them to comply with this specific provision on account of the availability of medical records.
To address this problem, Astrue said the SSA will soon issue a 'notice' in the Federal Register to seek public advice and information on how to ensure that evidence will be received by the agency 'on a timely basis'. In this way, he said, the waiting period will be reduced and the administrative law judge (ALJ) will be given adequate time to review the information before each hearing.
The commissioner also recognized other problems and accepted the fact that the SSA needs further improvement in the delivery of its services to the public.
Under general social security rules, an applicant may undergo four levels of appeal in the whole course of making a disability claim. First, when his application is denied, an applicant will have to request for a reconsideration within 60 sixty after receiving the denial letter.
During reconsideration, an applicant's files will be reviewed, including all the evidences submitted during the application plus any new evidence.
Applicants still denied in the reconsideration stage are often sent letters about the decision, telling them how to appeal their case.
If an applicant disagrees with the decision, he may request for a hearing, in which case an applicant is required to appear before the administrative law judge to present his evidence anew.
Because of the great number of applicants, the appeals process in a disability claim often takes months or years to be resolved, resulting in a backlog of cases.
About two-thirds of all disability applicants are denied in the initial stage of their claim.
Los Angeles Social Security Law Attorney - If you have suffered an injury that has resulted in a disability, you may be able to collect compensation from Social Security. Our Los Angeles Social Security Law Attorneys are experts on what Social Security Administration requires for claiming Social Security Disability benefits and for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability claims. Please log on to www.socialsecuritylawattorney.com for more information.
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