There is one good reason to keep with the original filing. That is that the day the filer files their initial claim is called their “protective filing date,” which allows them in some cases to claim back pay going back to that date.
“The protective filing date remains in force throughout the appeals process. If you file a new claim, you get a new, more recent protective date, and thus less back pay if you win,” the AARP said.
The article also noted that the majority of such claims are not successful. However, more than half of cases that reached a hearing resulted in the appellant receiving some benefits.
“Social Security turns down nearly two-thirds of disability claims on medical grounds at the application stage. Many experts say the chances of ultimately securing benefits are higher if you appeal than if you start over,” the AARP said. “SSA statistics bear this out. From 2010 through 2018, Social Security examiners approved around 36 percent of initial disability applications, according to the agency’s most recent annual report on the SSDI program.”
So the final verdict: If the AARP is onboard with securing a social security disability attorney, then anyone planning on applying for social security disability should be too.