The Reconsideration Stage in Michigan’s SSDI Appeals Process

Reviewed by Kelly M. Neumann, a Michigan Social Security Disability attorney. Last updated July 31, 2026.

Reconsideration is the stage Michigan clients most often misunderstand, because it looks like a formality and behaves like one for most claimants. At Neumann Law Group, we treat it as a real opportunity to strengthen the record before a case likely lands in front of a judge, and our Social Security Disability attorneys use this stage to close the gaps that caused the first denial rather than simply resubmitting the same file.

What Is the Reconsideration Stage?

Reconsideration is a complete review of a denied Social Security Disability claim by a Michigan Disability Determination Service examiner who had no part in the initial decision, governed by 20 C.F.R. § 404.909, which sets the 60-day deadline to request it. The request must be filed in writing within 60 days after the claimant receives the initial denial notice, though SSA can extend that window for good cause under a related provision. Unlike an appeal to a court, reconsideration is not limited to reviewing the first examiner’s reasoning; the new examiner looks at the entire file, including any evidence added since the original application.

How Does a Claim Reach Reconsideration?

A claim reaches this stage only after an initial denial, and the request has to be filed within the 60-day window or the claimant risks losing the right to appeal and having to file an entirely new application. Michigan claimants sometimes let the deadline slip because a denial notice arrives during an already difficult stretch, which is exactly the kind of delay that makes calendaring the date the moment the notice arrives worth doing before anything else.

What Are the Odds and What’s at Stake?

Reconsideration has historically approved only around 15 percent of the claims that reach it, which means most Michigan claimants who are ultimately approved get there at a later stage rather than here. That statistic makes reconsideration easy to dismiss, but skipping it is not an option, since it is a required step before a hearing can be requested. What is genuinely at stake is whether the record improves enough during this window to make the eventual hearing stronger, because the file built here carries forward rather than starting over.

What Happens During the Reconsideration Review?

Once requested, the case goes to a different Michigan DDS examiner, who reviews the complete file, including the original application, the initial denial’s stated reasoning, and any new medical evidence submitted for this stage. The review generally takes two to four months, depending largely on how quickly treating providers respond to updated records requests. There is no hearing or live testimony at this stage; the decision is based entirely on the paper record, which is why what gets added to the file before the examiner reviews it carries more weight here than at almost any other stage.

What Evidence Should Be Added at Reconsideration?

The strongest reconsideration files add something the initial application did not have, not simply more of the same documentation. Updated treating-source records covering the months since the initial denial show whether a condition has persisted, worsened, or produced new objective findings. A residual functional capacity form completed by a treating provider translates a diagnosis into the functional limitations SSA’s evaluation actually measures, which is often the single piece of evidence missing from a denied initial application. Where a claimant has been diagnosed with an additional condition since applying, documenting it at reconsideration lets the examiner weigh the combined effect rather than leaving it for a later stage.

How Neumann Law Group Handles Reconsideration

We start by reading the initial denial’s stated reason rather than treating reconsideration as a formality to get through quickly, because the reason SSA gave usually points directly at what the file needs. Our Social Security Disability attorneys request updated records from every treating provider and, where the medical record has never translated a diagnosis into functional limitations, work to get that documented before the examiner reviews the file. Because most reconsideration denials move on to a hearing, we build the record at this stage with the hearing already in mind rather than treating each level as a separate case.

What to Do at the Reconsideration Stage

Request reconsideration within 60 days of the initial denial notice, and do not wait until close to the deadline to start gathering evidence. Read the initial denial’s stated reason and target new evidence at that specific gap rather than resubmitting the same file. Ask treating providers for updated records covering the period since the original application, and ask whether a residual functional capacity form can be completed if one was not part of the initial file. Prepare mentally for the possibility of a hearing, since most claims that are denied again at reconsideration move to that stage next.

Frequently Asked Questions About Michigan SSDI Reconsideration

What Is Reconsideration in the Michigan SSDI Process?

Reconsideration is the second of five levels in Michigan’s SSDI appeals process, a complete review of the file by a Disability Determination Service examiner who had no role in the initial decision. It looks at the whole record fresh, including any new evidence submitted, rather than simply rechecking the first examiner’s work.

How Long Does Michigan Reconsideration Take?

Reconsideration in Michigan generally takes two to four months from the date it is requested, though the timeline depends on how quickly updated medical records come in from treating providers. It is typically faster than the initial application review.

What Are My Chances of Winning at Reconsideration?

Reconsideration has historically approved only around 15 percent of claims, which means most Michigan claimants who eventually win their case do so at a later stage. That does not make reconsideration pointless, since it is still the required next step and a chance to add evidence the initial application lacked.

Can I Submit New Evidence at Reconsideration?

Yes, and doing so is usually the difference between a repeat denial and a real chance at approval. Updated treating-source records, a residual functional capacity form, or documentation of a newly diagnosed condition can all be added at this stage before the examiner reviews the file.

What Happens After a Reconsideration Denial?

A claimant denied at reconsideration can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge within 60 days, which is the stage where Michigan’s approval rates rise substantially. The hearing record can include everything submitted at reconsideration plus any additional evidence gathered since.

Related Practice Areas

A denial at reconsideration moves to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, covered in depth on the Michigan disability hearing page. Claimants weighing whether to appeal at all can start with the firm’s overview of a denial’s practical effect on the SSDI denied page. A claimant who has already been denied by a judge has one further administrative option, described on the Appeals Council review page.