If you applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in California and were turned down, you are in large company. Most initial applications are denied. What surprises many people is what comes next: the first appeal, called reconsideration, ends in a second denial for the large majority of claimants.
That second “no” is not a sign your case is hopeless. It is usually a sign that the file still does not answer the question Social Security is asking. Understanding how reconsideration works, and what it realistically can and cannot do, helps you use it well and prepare for the stage where many claims are actually won.
What reconsideration actually is
Reconsideration is a complete second review of your claim. In California, it is handled by the state Disability Determination Services (DDS), the same agency that made the first decision, but by a new disability examiner and medical consultant who were not involved the first time.
There is no hearing and no face-to-face meeting. The new examiner reviews the paper file, including any new records you submit, and decides whether the first denial was correct. Reconsideration now applies throughout California, including parts of Los Angeles County that once skipped it under a federal pilot program.
You have 60 days from receiving the denial notice to request reconsideration. Social Security assumes you received the notice five days after the date on it. You can request reconsideration online through Social Security or submit Form SSA-561, along with an updated disability report (SSA-3441) and a medical release (SSA-827).
Why most claims are denied twice
According to Social Security figures reported by AARP, only about 16 percent of reconsideration requests result in an approval. Several factors explain why the odds are so low:
- Same agency, same rules. Reconsideration is decided by DDS using the same standards and much of the same evidence as the first review. Without new information, a second examiner usually reaches the same result.
- No chance to be heard. Nobody at DDS sees you or hears you describe your limitations. The decision rests entirely on documents.
- Diagnosis without function. Many files prove a serious condition but never explain what it stops you from doing. Social Security decides claims on functional limits — how long you can sit, stand, focus or keep a schedule — not on the diagnosis alone.
- Thin or outdated records. Gaps in treatment, missing specialist notes and unreturned questionnaires make it easy to deny again.
Typical California timelines
Reconsideration is not quick. Social Security reported an average wait of about eight months for a reconsideration decision in late 2025, and recent national averages have hovered around six to eight months. California’s DDS caseload is among the largest in the country, so waits here can run toward the longer end, especially if the agency orders a consultative examination with one of its own doctors.
If reconsideration is denied, you have another 60 days to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Hearing waits have recently averaged roughly eight to nine months nationally, and they vary by hearing office.
The evidence that changes outcomes
Reconsideration is not a refiling. It is a chance to fix whatever the first denial exposed. The evidence that most often makes a difference includes:
- A treating-source opinion on function. A statement from your doctor that lists specific limits — hours you can sit or stand, weight you can lift, how often you need breaks, expected absences per month — carries far more weight than a note confirming a diagnosis.
- New and complete medical records. Submit everything since your application, from every provider, including mental health treatment, which is often under-documented.
- Objective testing. Imaging, lab results, pulmonary or cardiac testing, and neuropsychological evaluations give examiners something concrete to rely on.
- Consistent reports. Your function report and disability updates should describe a typical day, not your best one, and match what your medical records say.
- Third-party statements. Former supervisors, coworkers and family can describe missed days, slowed pace and the help you need.
When a hearing request is the better route
In California you cannot skip reconsideration; it is a required step before a hearing. But once DDS denies you a second time, requesting an ALJ hearing is almost always better than starting over with a new application.
The hearing is a different kind of review. An independent judge, not DDS, decides the case. You can testify about how your condition affects your daily life, and the judge can question medical and vocational experts. Social Security data show approval rates at the hearing stage have averaged around 50 percent in recent years — several times higher than at reconsideration.
A new application, by contrast, usually sends you back to DDS at the start and can forfeit your protected filing date and months of back pay. It makes sense only in narrow situations, such as a significant change in your condition.
Evidence you submit at reconsideration becomes part of the file the judge will review, so a well-built request strengthens your case even if DDS says no.
Getting help before the second denial
Many claimants wait until after reconsideration to get help, but the most useful time is before it is filed. A representative can request your claim file, identify why DDS denied you, and gather the functional evidence that the first file lacked. Disability representatives work on contingency, with fees set and approved by Social Security and paid only from past-due benefits.
If you live in the San Fernando Valley or elsewhere in Los Angeles County, a Social Security disability attorney in Sherman Oaks can review your denial notice and help you meet the 60-day deadline with a stronger file.
Being denied twice is common. Losing benefits because a deadline passed, or because the record was never completed, does not have to be.
This article provides general information about Social Security disability appeals and is not legal advice. Processing times and outcomes vary by case; consult a qualified representative about your situation.