Appeals
When the answer was no
A denial letter feels final, and it isn't. It starts a clock, though, and the first thing I do is read the date on it.
Social Security allows 60 days after you receive a denial to ask for another look. The VA has several review paths after a decision, and filing within a year keeps your original start date. The paths work differently, and choosing the wrong one can cost months.
I help with the next step, whichever it is: a request to reconsider, a hearing before a judge, a supplemental claim with new evidence, or a review by a more senior reviewer. If you've missed a deadline, call anyway. There are sometimes good reasons the agency will accept, and I'd rather look than guess.
The first things to check
The date on the letter, and the date it reached you
Which agency wrote it and what it says you can do next
What evidence the decision relied on, and what it left out
Whether new medical records exist since you applied
How an appeal goes
We read the decision together
I explain the reasons in plain words and mark what the agency got wrong or never saw.
We choose the path
Reconsideration, hearing, supplemental claim or review: I tell you which fits, and what each costs in time.
We add what was missing
New records and a doctor's statement often matter more than repeating the first application.
We prepare for the room
If there is a hearing, I walk you through the questions and sit beside you.
Asked often at this desk
What if I missed the deadline?
Call me anyway. Sometimes there is good cause the agency will accept, and sometimes starting a new claim is the better route. I'll tell you which.
Is a hearing scary?
It's a conversation with a judge, usually in a small room or by video, and it's often shorter than people expect. We'll practice the questions first.
Do I have to start over after a denial?
Not always. An appeal keeps the same claim alive, and that can protect your start date and back pay. Whether to appeal or refile depends on your dates.
Call before the clock runs out
If a letter has a date on it, read me the date and we will take it from there.