Hearings and appeals
Hearings and appeals
A denial is the start of an appeal, not the end of a claim. Most Social Security claims that are approved are approved at a hearing before a judge, and VA decisions can be looked at again three ways.
We take appeals at every level, including claims we didn’t file. We prepare you for the hearing in person, ahead of time, so the questions aren’t new on the day.
Social Security: four levels
VA: three ways to ask again
Deadlines run from the date on the letter
Social Security’s four levels
Each has a deadline of 60 days from the date you receive the decision, which the agency takes to be five days after the date on the letter.
- 01
Reconsideration
A different examiner looks at the file again. We send what was missing the first time.
- 02
A hearing with a judge
You and a judge, usually by video or in Charleston, with a vocational expert. We prepare you and question the expert.
- 03
Appeals Council
A review on paper of whether the judge followed the rules. We write the brief.
- 04
Federal court
A lawsuit in the U.S. District Court. We tell you honestly whether it’s worth it.
After a VA decision
Higher-Level Review
A senior reviewer looks at the same evidence for an error. No new evidence goes in.
Supplemental Claim
You add new evidence, like a doctor’s opinion, and the VA decides again.
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
A Veterans Law Judge decides, with or without a hearing. It’s the slowest lane and sometimes the right one.
Got a denial or a decision?
Look at the date on the letter, then call. The sooner we start, the more we can add.