534. Filing the Reconsideration Request on Time

To be timely, the "Request for Reconsideration" must be filed, at an SSA office, within 60 days of the date on which you receive notice of the initial determination. SSA assumes, unless an applicant can provide proof or at least evidence to the contrary, that the determination is received five days after the date printed on it.

The question of timeliness is an important one. If an appeal is not accepted because it is filed too late, the claimant may have to file a new application, and begin the process all over again. When filing for reconsideration, representatives should help applicants submit the "Request for Reconsideration" as quickly as possible. Do not delay submitting the request if new medical evidence is forthcoming; instead, the representative should send the request indicating that the new medical evidence will be mailed at a specified future date.

See Chapter 2015 for information about filing a request for an extension of time for filing for a reconsideration.

Last Revised: Jan. 22, 2008