Even though you have the best chance of winning disability benefits at the hearing level with the help of a Chicago Social Security disability lawyer, it is still possible that the administrative law judge might deny your claim. When this happens, it is easy to get discouraged, but keep in mind you still have a few options on the table at this point. Accept the judge’s decision? The easiest but also the final decision you can make is to simply accept the judge’s decision and stop pursuing disability benefits any further. This may seem like giving up – and it is – but that may be the most rational choice if there seems to be little possibility of being awarded benefits. If the judge’s denial was based on information unrelated to your medical condition, such as the fact that you were working during the disability period, then giving up may be sensible because your case is unlikely to be awarded benefits at all for that reason. Only you can decide for sure whether it is worst the time and expense of continuing to pursue benefits, but ask your Chicago Social Security disability lawyer for input.
File a New Application
Another option is to start fresh with a new application. The downside to this is that the new application will have a new filing date, so if you are ultimately approved for benefits, you may lose out on back benefits that your previous application would have been eligible for. However, if your previous application was a dead-end anyway, this may be your best option.
Appeal to the Appeals Council
The fourth level of disability appeals, after the Administrative Law Judge, is the Appeals Council. They, like the other levels of appeal, will review the facts of your case and make a decision. They may send your case back to the ALJ for review or make a decision overturning the judge’s decision themselves. This may be your best bet as the facts of your case should be well-established and it will mean you don’t have to go through the process from the beginning again. However, there is no guarantee of being awarded benefits by them.
Contact a Chicago Social Security Disability Lawyer
For more information on what to do if your appeal is denied by the judge, contact a Chicago social security disability lawyer at Chicago Disability Law. Call us today.
