Openai/695bd4db-84a8-8007-b60b-2346c40d47a3

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gpt-5-2

User: I missed my deadline to submit documents for an SSDI review.

I missed my deadline to submit documents for an SSDI review. The delay is due to my medical conditions and psychiatric conditions. Can I appeal this as they terminated my benefits?

Assistant: Yes — you absolutely can appeal, and many people in your situation are successful when the delay was caused by medical …

Yes — you absolutely can appeal, and many people in your situation are successful when the delay was caused by medical or psychiatric conditions.

Here’s how it works and what to do right away:

1. Yes, You Can Appeal a Termination for Missing a Review

If Social Security terminated your SSDI because you missed a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) deadline, you can request reconsideration and ask for good cause for missing the deadline.

Medical and psychiatric impairments are explicitly recognized as “good cause.”

Examples SSA accepts:

• Physical illness or hospitalization
• Mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD, cognitive impairment, etc.)
• Medications causing confusion, fatigue, or inability to respond
• Difficulty understanding or completing paperwork due to disability

2. The Most Important Deadline (Very Time-Sensitive)

You generally have 60 days from the date on the termination notice to appeal.

⚠️ If you appeal within 10 days, you can usually request that your benefits continue while the appeal is pending.

Even if you are past 60 days, you can still appeal if you show good cause for late filing — and again, your conditions can qualify.

3. What to File (You Can Do This Together)

You’ll want to submit:

A. Request for Reconsideration

Form: SSA-561

B. Statement of Good Cause for Late Submission

Form: SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant or Other Person)

In the statement, explain:

• Your diagnoses (physical + psychiatric)
• How symptoms affected your ability to respond
• Any hospitalizations, flare-ups, medication effects, or cognitive issues
• That the failure to submit documents was not intentional

I can help you write this statement if you want.

4. Submit the Missing Documents Now

If you still have the documents SSA requested:

• Submit them with your appeal
• Or tell SSA you are gathering them and need assistance

This strengthens your case significantly.

5. Request Help From SSA

You can:

• Call SSA and ask for a claims specialist
• Request help completing forms due to disability
• Ask for reasonable accommodations (this is important given your conditions)

6. Strongly Consider Representation

You may want a:

• Social Security disability attorney (no upfront cost)
• Legal aid or disability advocacy organization

They can often get benefits reinstated faster, especially when termination was procedural.

7. Important Reassurance

This type of termination is procedural, not a finding that you are no longer disabled. Many benefits are reinstated once SSA sees the explanation and documents.

If you’d like, I can:

• Help you draft a strong “good cause” statement
• Walk you through exactly what to say when you call SSA
• Help you decide whether to ask for benefits to continue during appeal

Just tell me where you are in the process and roughly when the termination notice was dated.