What Happens If the Appeals Council Sends Your SSDI Case Back for Another Hearing?
If you have received an Appeals Council remand in Washington, you may not know what this means or what steps you need to take next. When applying for SSDI in Washington, it’s helpful to understand the different types of notices that you may get from the Social Security Administration so that you can avoid running into delays during this process. Also, an SSDI lawyer in Washington can help you better understand why you have received a Social Security Appeals Council remand and what this means for your case. So, keep reading to find out what an Appeals Council remand means and what needs to happen next.
What Is an Appeals Council Remand?
A Washington Appeals Council remand doesn’t mean your claim has been denied or approved; it means that the Appeals Council has sent it back for another look. Usually, the Appeals Council will do this in order to fix procedural, factual, or legal errors that it found in the first decision.
Your case may be assigned to the same judge or a different one depending on the reason for the remand, and you will need to attend a new hearing. After the hearing, the administrative law judge will issue a new decision after re-reviewing the case and any new information provided.
Although receiving a remanded SSDI claim can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t know what this means, it can actually be good news. Having your case remanded means that you get a second chance to review your information and make updates, such as submitting new or missing evidence.
Why Cases Are Sent Back
Receiving an Appeals Council remand isn’t as uncommon as you may think. In fact, the Appeals Council frequently remands SSDI cases for a variety of reasons, including:
- Legal errors from the administrative law judge.
- Incomplete residual functional capacity findings.
- Errors with the vocational expert testimony.
- Failure to consider important medical evidence.
- Improper evaluation of medical opinions.
How to Prepare for the New Hearing
To improve your chances of having your SSDI case approved at the new hearing, there are certain steps you should take to prepare:
- Review the remand: Carefully review the remand order so that you understand what mistakes the Appeals Council found that you could potentially address.
- Update evidence: Update any medical evidence you provided that was incorrect or contained errors. You can also provide new medical evidence that you have accumulated since your original hearing.
- New testimony: Review your original testimony and make changes or updates to ensure consistency and to keep everything up-to-date with your most current medical records.
You should also work closely with an SSDI attorney in Washington who can help you gather evidence, understand the remand order, and prepare for your new hearing.
Get Started With an SSDI Washington Attorney Today
Although it can feel intimidating at first to receive an Appeals Council remand, this is actually a good thing, as it gives you a second chance to qualifying for SSDI. At Schott Law, our SSDI attorneys in Washington will work with you one-on-one so that you understand what the remand order means and how you can prepare for your SSDI hearing. Contact our Washington office today at 509-328-5789 to speak with a lawyer about your claim.
