Many individuals are denied benefits at the initial application stage and must appeal this decision to pursue their benefits through the Reconsideration or Hearings process. You have 60 days to appeal an adverse decision from the time of your receipt of the denial letter. Generally, SSA will presume that you received the notice within 5 days of mailing – meaning that any appeal noted more than 65 days past the date of the decision will be presumed untimely.
If you attempt to note your appeal more than 60 days from your receipt of the denial, SSA will ask that you establish “good cause” for the delay, which is determined by a limited set of considerations.