The Social Security Administration will process your appeal through four levels.
First of all, your appeal will go to the Reconsideration stage, in which your claim will be reviewed by someone who had no role in processing your claim earlier. This process will involve a review of all of the evidence that was filed originally, as well as new evidence submitted with the appeal.
If you do not agree with reconsideration decision, you are free to ask for a hearing conducted by the administrative law judge. This judge will have had no role to play in the original decision. You may be asked to provide more evidence before the hearing, and will be questioned at the hearing by the administrative law judge. You’re free to bring witnesses, and they may also be questioned. For help preparing for the administrative law judge hearing, speak to a Los Angeles Social Security disability benefits attorney.
If you do not agree with the decision provided by the hearing, then you may ask for a review by the Appeals Council, which may or may not agree with your request for a hearing. If the Council believes that the decision by the administrative law judge was the correct decision, it will deny your request for a hearing.
If you, however, are heard by the Council, and do not agree with the decision, then you may file a final lawsuit in federal court.
All of these are complex legal steps, and it is important not just to provide more evidence of your eligibility for a claim, but also go through all the steps precisely. Speak to a Los Angeles Social Security disability benefits attorney for help filing a claim.