Did you know that if your Social Security Disability benefits application is denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA), you only have 60 days to appeal their decision? Unfortunately, that is not a lot of time to act. While you should absolutely speak with a disability benefits attorney and appeal your case as soon as possible after receiving notice of your denial, there are some valid reasons for missing the deadline. In fact, if the SSA believes that you missed the deadline for a good reason, it will extend the deadline and hear your case.Here are a few valid reasons that the SSA may consider if you have failed to appeal your case by the 60-day deadline:
- You could not file a timely appeal because of a language barrier
- You could not file a timely appeal because of an educational barrier
- You could not file a timely appeal due to a physical limitation
- A claimant is mentally disabled and does not have a legal representative, such as a relative, guardian, or attorney to assist with the appeal
- A claimant is a minor and does not have a legal representative, such as a relative, guardian, or attorney to assist with the appeal
- A claimant was dealing with a family emergency, such as a death in the family
- A claimant was too ill to contact the agency with an appeal
- A claimant is under the false impression that their legal representative or attorney filed an appeal when they did not
- You were researching your case and could not attain the information necessary for your appeal by the deadline
- You were not given enough information to understand your denial or to understand how to appeal your denial
- You never received notification of your denial
Evidence of the above reasons is important in order to prove you have a valid reason for missing the appeals deadline. If you would like to file an extension of your appeals deadline, contact our attorneys for assistance and a free case evaluation.