Technical Denial

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have the same criteria for determining if a claimant is disabled, but there are times when a claimant's application can be denied prior to the medical review because the claimant is not technically eligible. A technical denial is any denial which occurs because a SSI or SSDI applicant does not meet the nonmedical criteria for benefits.

For SSDI an applicant could receive a technical denial if they are working too many hours and/or making too much money, or the applicant does not have sufficient work credits to be considered insured. This occurs if the applicant did not work enough prior to their disability or they did not pay enough employment taxes. If you have received a technical denial, unless something changes, you will continue to be denied regardless of your medical eligibility.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has different technical factors. For SSI you do not have to have work credits, but a claimant can receive a technical denial if their monthly income or resources are too high. Talk to a disability lawyer if you have questions about your denial letter or whether you have the ability to appeal a technical denial.