Direct answer
What happens after an SSDI denial?
After an SSDI denial, you have 60 days from the date on the notice to request the next appeal step — reconsideration first, then the ALJ hearing — and missing that window usually forces you to start a new claim and lose months of potential back pay.
The 60-day deadline is the single most important date on the denial letter.
Sourced from ssa.gov — see citations below.
The 60-day rule
Every SSDI denial notice starts a 60-day clock. Reconsideration, ALJ hearing, Appeals Council, and federal court each have the same 60-day filing window from the prior denial.
What to do immediately
Read the denial to identify the specific reason, request the appeal in writing (online at ssa.gov or with the paper form named in the notice), and start updating the medical record.
What not to do
Do not wait, and do not file a fresh application while an appeal is possible — a new application generally starts your timeline over and can complicate back pay.
Topics
Sources
Every figure and rule on this page is drawn from official SSA publications. Verify at the links below.
- SSA — The Appeals Process (ssa.gov)