Expediting Appeals Council Claims When You Have a VA Disability Rating of 70% or More
A Social Security disability claim may be appealed to the Appeals Council if that claim is receives an Unfavorable Decision from the Administrative Law Judge. Once a claim is appealed to the Appeals Council, it may take anywhere from twelve to twenty-four months to receive a decision. However, there are now twenty-one categories which will expedite a claim at the Appeals Council level if new evidence is added to the file. One of the categories that can expedite a claim is a Veterans Administration (VA) disability rating of 70% or more.
If you already have a VA disability rating of 70% or more when you file your appeal to the Appeals Council, be sure to attach a copy of the rating. If you receive your VA disability rating of 70% or more while you are waiting for a decision from the Appeals Council, submit your VA disability rating as soon as you receive it. Once the Appeals Council receives proof of your VA disability rating of 70% or more, your appeal should move through the process more quickly.
A claimant who has a VA disability rating of 70% or more should not have to wait up to twenty-four months to receive their decision from the Appeals Council. Hopefully, with this new process, claimants will have a more timely response to their claim.
For more information regarding Social Security benefits and Veterans benefits, please contact one of the experienced attorneys at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. today by calling 251-343-1111. Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. represents Social Security disability and Veterans benefits claimants in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana at all levels of the disability process.
