Income limits and how to apply, written for where you live.
All 50 statesDenied SSDI? You have a deadline, and a real shot.
About half of the disability appeals that reach a final decision inside Social Security end in approval. Enter the date on your denial letter and get your fight plan: your exact deadline, your next move, and what your case is worth.
Your Fight Plan
SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) · 2026 rules
What date is on your denial letter?
It is printed at the top of the letter. Your appeal deadline is counted from that day, not from the day you read it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to appeal an SSDI denial?
You have 60 days from the day you receive the denial letter to request reconsideration. Social Security assumes you received the letter 5 days after the date printed on it. In practice, that means 65 days from the letter date. If you miss the window, Social Security can still accept a late appeal when you have a good reason, such as hospitalization or never receiving the letter.
Should I appeal my SSDI denial or just reapply?
Appeal, in almost every case. When you eventually win, Social Security pays benefits backwards based on your original application date. If you appeal, Social Security keeps using the date of your first application. If you start a new application instead, they use the date you refile, the months in between are months they do not pay you for, and the new application gets the same kind of review that just denied you.
What are the chances of winning an SSDI appeal?
The first appeal step (reconsideration) approves only about 16% of cases, roughly 1 in 6. But the stage after that, a hearing before an administrative law judge, approves roughly half of the cases that reach it, and people with representation do meaningfully better. About half of all appeals that reach a final decision inside Social Security end in approval. The strategy is persistence.
Why was my SSDI application denied?
The most common reasons: Social Security decided your medical records do not prove your condition prevents work (often an incomplete-records problem, not a health problem), decided you can do your past work or some other work, could not get enough medical evidence, or issued a technical denial about work credits or income before ever looking at your health. Each reason has a specific counter-move, which is what this tool gives you.
How much does an SSDI appeal lawyer cost?
Disability representatives work on contingency: they collect a fee only if you win, the fee is capped by federal law at 25% of back pay or $9,200 (whichever is less), and it comes out of your back pay. Costs are separate from that fee. A representative can bill you for things like copies of your medical records whether or not you win, so ask for the whole arrangement in writing before you sign.
What happens to my back pay if I win my appeal?
SSDI pays backwards to your established disability onset date, minus a 5-month waiting period, based on your original application date. A case that takes 18 months to win produces back pay for about 13 of those months, after the 5-month waiting period. This is exactly why appealing (which preserves your original date) beats reapplying (which resets it).