Many Social Security disability cases are denied for medical reasons. Often, this means that the medical evidence doesn’t back up the person’s claims. Maybe they say that they are going to be disabled for years to come, but the medical evidence suggests that they should recover in just a few months. The Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t count it as a disability because the definition says it must last for at least 12 months.
But there are also non-medical denials, which are sometimes referred to as technical denials. Why would your petition for SSDI benefits be denied for a non-medical reason?
Recent work credits
According to the SSA, the top reason for a non-medical denial is that the person has insufficient work credits. People need to have worked for a certain amount of time, generally earning four credits per year, in order to be able to claim benefits. If they don’t have enough recent work credits, they may not qualify, even though they are disabled.
A person‘s ability to work can also play a role. For instance, the SSA notes that some benefits are denied when the person returns to work before they even make a decision. The SSDI process can be long and may take months or even years. Some people who are dealing with potential disabilities will actually recover or find that they can still do a different type of work, so they no longer need the benefits.
Navigating the process
The above are just a few reasons why benefits can be denied. If you are applying, it’s important to know why these denials happen, what legal steps you’ll need to take and how to navigate this complex process.