How to Request Appeals Council Review Using Form HA-520
To request Appeals Council review, submit Form HA-520 to Social Security within 60 days after receiving an administrative law judge’s decision or dismissal. The form starts your appeal, but your explanation and supporting record establish why further review is warranted.
Protecting the filing deadline comes first, even when you’re still gathering medical records or seeking an attorney. Start by identifying the decision you’re challenging, then explain the errors you want the Council to address.
Key Takeaways
- File within 60 days after receiving the judge’s decision; SSA generally presumes receipt five days after its date.
- Explain why you disagree with the judge’s findings, using specific references to the decision and record.
- Additional evidence must meet separate requirements before the Council will consider it.
- Keep your completed request, attachments, and submission confirmation together.
- A remand returns the case for further proceedings; it doesn’t automatically award benefits.
When Form HA-520 Is the Right Next Step
Form HA-520, Request for Review of Hearing Decision/Order, applies after an administrative law judge (ALJ) issues a decision or dismissal that you want to challenge. For disability claimants, Appeals Council review generally follows an unfavorable hearing decision.
This stage differs from reconsideration or requesting an ALJ hearing. Form HA-501 requests a hearing, while Form SSA-3441 updates disability information at earlier appeal stages. Neither replaces the request for Council review.
Before completing HA-520, read the ALJ’s findings and explanation. Our guide to understanding an ALJ’s SSDI decision explains how those findings affect your next step.
The Council examines whether grounds for review exist. Filing the form doesn’t automatically produce another hearing or an award. If you’re challenging a partially favorable decision, obtain legal advice about the potential effect on findings already decided in your favor.
Protect the 60-Day Appeal Deadline
Calculate the deadline from receipt
You generally have 60 days after receiving the decision or dismissal to request review. SSA assumes you received it five days after its date unless you show otherwise.
Keep the notice, envelope, and delivery information, especially if the notice arrived late. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, it generally moves to the next federal workday.
The form includes a staff-only question about receipt within 65 days of the judge’s action. That processing field reflects the usual five-day receipt presumption.
The staff-only 65-day question doesn’t replace your deadline of 60 days after receipt.
Explain a late filing in writing
If the deadline has passed, submit your request with a written explanation asking for additional time. The Appeals Council decides whether you had good cause for filing late.
Describe what prevented timely filing, when it happened, and how it affected your ability to respond. Serious illness or failure to receive the notice may support an extension, depending on the circumstances.
Include supporting documentation when available. A late request isn’t automatically accepted, so act promptly rather than waiting for every supporting record.
How to Complete Form HA-520
The official Form HA-520 instructions explain the request and available filing routes. Keep the ALJ’s decision beside you while completing the form.
Identify the claimant and representative
Items 1 through 3 request the claimant’s name, Social Security number, and claim number if different. Enter those details accurately so SSA can associate the request with the correct file.
Item 5 contains the claimant’s signature, date, and contact fields. Item 6 contains representative information, including whether the representative is an attorney or non-attorney. Complete the applicable signature and contact sections.
Use a current mailing address and telephone number. Missed correspondence can interfere with deadlines after filing, too. Items 7 through 11 are SSA processing fields rather than questions for you to complete.
Explain why you disagree with the judge
Item 4 asks why you disagree. Address the decision’s reasoning instead of relying only on a statement that you cannot work.
Focus on disputed findings about your work capacity, medical opinions, symptoms, or ability to perform past or other work. Identify the decision page and supporting medical record or testimony when possible. Explain both the error and why it matters to the outcome.
You can attach a separate statement when the available space isn’t enough. Identify it clearly as your reasons for requesting review and keep a copy.
Item 4 also includes a choice to request more time for evidence or argument. Requesting time doesn’t itself establish a new submission deadline.
Evidence Rules for Appeals Council Review
Show why additional evidence qualifies
Additional medical records must satisfy requirements beyond showing that you have a serious condition. The Council considers whether evidence is new, material, and related to the period on or before the ALJ’s decision. There must also be a reasonable probability that it would change the outcome.
Explain the connection between each additional record and the disputed finding. Identify the treatment dates, relevant limitations, and issue the record addresses.
Avoid sending duplicate records without explaining what they add. More pages alone don’t establish an error in the decision.
Address good cause and request extra time
SSA’s Appeals Council evidence guidance also requires good cause for not informing SSA about or submitting qualifying evidence at least five business days before the scheduled hearing.
Describe the circumstances that prevented earlier submission. Include the relevant timeline and documentation of your efforts to obtain records when those efforts matter.
If you need more time, make a written request identifying the evidence or argument you intend to submit and why additional time is necessary. The Council must grant the extension before it applies.
Keep the appeal deadline separate from the evidence deadline. File the review request on time even if your supporting submission isn’t complete.
How to File Your HA-520 Request
SSA provides an online hearing-decision review request, along with paper filing options. Use one filing method for the request rather than sending duplicate requests through several channels.
These are the principal submission routes:
| Filing method | Submission details | Record to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Complete SSA’s online request for review. | Confirmation page and confirmation number. |
| Fax | Send the request to 1-833-509-0817. | Complete submission and transmission report. |
| Address it to Social Security Administration, Appeals Council, 6401 Security Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. | Complete submission and delivery documentation. |
Choose a route that lets you submit promptly and preserve evidence of filing.
Before submission, review the identifying information, applicable signatures, reasons for disagreement, and attachments. Make sure every attachment belongs to your case.
Save a complete copy of what you sent, not merely the first page. Retain any written extension request and SSA’s response as well.
A telephone conversation isn’t a substitute for the written review request. If you discuss the case with SSA, record the date, the person’s name, and the substance of the conversation.
What the Appeals Council May Decide
Under SSA’s Appeals Council review process, the Council may deny review, dismiss the request, or grant review.
A denial of review generally leaves the ALJ’s decision as SSA’s final administrative decision. A dismissal is a different procedural action, so the notice’s explanation matters.
If the Council grants review, it may issue its own decision or return the case to an ALJ. That return is called a remand. It may require further evidence, another hearing, or a new evaluation of disputed findings. A remand doesn’t itself establish entitlement to benefits.
After a denial of review or an unfavorable Council decision, federal district court review may be available. A civil action generally must be filed within 60 days after receiving the Council’s notice.
Our guide to appealing an Appeals Council denial explains that separate process. Federal court review generally addresses legal errors and whether substantial evidence supports SSA’s decision, rather than providing a new disability hearing.
Keep the complete Council notice and send it to your attorney promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an attorney to request review?
You can request review without an attorney. However, legal help can be useful when the dispute involves medical-opinion rules, vocational findings, procedural errors, or additional evidence requirements.
An attorney can compare the decision with the record and develop arguments tied to the grounds for review. Our explanation of appointing an SSA representative addresses the agency’s appointment process. Representation doesn’t guarantee approval, but it can help present the issues clearly.
How long does Appeals Council review take?
There isn’t a fixed completion deadline that gives every claimant a predictable decision date. The filing deadline is firm, but it doesn’t establish how quickly the Council will act.
While waiting, continue medically appropriate treatment and maintain records of significant changes. Report address changes and work activity accurately. Also keep every notice and submission confirmation. If you have an attorney, forward new correspondence promptly rather than assuming counsel received the same document.
Protect Your Right to Further Review
A timely HA-520 preserves your opportunity to request review. A focused explanation then connects the ALJ’s disputed findings to the record and governing rules.
Keep proof of filing and respond promptly to later notices. Additional evidence and extension requests require separate attention.
At Avard Law Offices, we represent Florida residents in Social Security disability matters and federal court appeals. We offer free case evaluations to discuss your decision and available next steps.