What do you do when you get your notice of denial, as you may? First of all, you should read it carefully, as it contains not only information about the decision on your claim, but it also contains instructions on how to appeal an adverse decision. It is always in your interest to appeal a negative decision. More facts may come to light as your claim is looked at further, and there is a level of appeal when you will be able to go before an administrative law judge who will talk to you personally, call witnesses that you want to testify, and make a decision with much more evidence than the original evaluator had available. The long and short of this is that you should take your decision letter to the Social Security office and request an application for the appropriate appeal at that level. There is always another level of appeal, all the way up to a formal court case. The important thing is that you file your appeal immediately, as there are deadlines, and if you miss the deadline, you will have to start all over with a new claim again. Always file a timely appeal on a decision, as it costs you nothing but a little time, and it is better than doing nothing.
oakmandon@netscape.net
