"Reconsideration" is the first appeal after Social Security denies your claim for disability benefits. It is a, daring, dubious delaying tactic which adds 79 days to the already long process. It helps Social Security, but not the claimant.
RECONSIDERATION STUDY. The US Government recently did a study on how the "Reconsideration" process effects disability claimants at Social Security. "Reconsideration" is the step required before the case can go to an administrative law judge for appeal.
Of 616,917 claims denied in 2018, 86,400 (14%) took no further action and gave up. Some claimants had died. 530,500 appealed to a judge. Of those 530,500 cases that went before a judge 290,000 (55%) were awarded benefits. In 2018, the study found it took 79 days longer for a claimant to receive an award in states that used the "Reconsideration" process. In total, it took an average of 924 days to get an award in states that used "Reconsideration." (Note: All states now use "Reconsideration; until 2019, 40 states used it).
So, why use a process that makes incorrect decisions 55 percent of the time and takes 79 days longer to resolve a claim? The study gives the answer: It saved Social Security $3.9 billion over 10 years.
It saves money because 14 percent of claimants die or give up after being rejected at "Reconsideration." Social Security drags out the process: slower, more difficult, more overwhelming.14 percent of claimants just give up and Social Security saves billions.
This makes it difficult to believe that the Social Security Administration has the goal of giving disabled individuals a prompt, fair and unbiased way to claim benefits. It rather seems it has the goal of weeding out claimants, stalling the process as long as possible, and paying claims only when it becomes a last resort. It should be changed. Unfortunately, changes are not favoring the claimant. Who could guess?
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