Request for Reconsideration
Official owner Social Security Administration
The first of SSA’s four appeal stages. SSA publishes a 60-day standard for submitting it once a decision is received, and states that a Disability Determination Services examiner reviews a disability reconsideration.
What problem this helps solve
The first of SSA’s four appeal stages. SSA publishes a 60-day standard for submitting it once a decision is received, and states that a Disability Determination Services examiner reviews a disability reconsideration.
Who completes it: The person who received the decision, or a representative appointed under SSA-1696.
What this does not prove
Filing reconsideration does not reverse a decision, extend a deadline, or establish eligibility. Read the date on your own notice: it controls, not SSA’s published standard. If the date has passed, ask SSA in writing whether a late request can be accepted — NOLO has not verified the rules SSA applies to that.
NOLO source confidence
Official destination checked
SSA links the August 2025 SSA-561 PDF and directs users to discontinue prior editions. All three official pages opened successfully on September 13, 2026.
Last checked September 13, 2026. This label describes NOLO’s source knowledge, not agency quality or service availability.
Direct document
Before downloading, confirm the agency, form number, and revision date match the summary below.
Open official documentForm record
- Official title
- Request for Reconsideration
- Form number
- SSA-561-U2
- Program
- SSI and SSDI appeals
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- Revision date
- August 1, 2025
- Who completes it
- The person who received the decision, or a representative appointed under SSA-1696.
- Signature
- The August 2025 paper SSA-561 labels the claimant signature optional. Review all other questions and the applicable submission route.
- Submission methods
- Online medical or non-medical reconsideration through SSA's official route, Send or take the completed paper form to the local Social Security office, For questions: 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; TTY 1-800-325-0778
- Supporting documents
- • The dated decision notice itself, which carries the deadline that controls — SSA’s published 60-day standard is not a substitute for reading it.
- • Any medical evidence postdating the decision; what is required is SSA’s to specify.
- Languages
- SSA publishes phone support "in English, Spanish, and other languages"; the language set of the form itself was not verified.
- Accessibility
- SSA publishes a TTY line at 1-800-325-0778. NOLO has not completed an accessibility review of SSA’s online flow.
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Source note: Filing reconsideration does not reverse a decision, extend a deadline, or establish eligibility. Read the date on your own notice: it controls, not SSA’s published standard. If the date has passed, ask SSA in writing whether a late request can be accepted — NOLO has not verified the rules SSA applies to that.
NOLO does not process this form, receive your answers, decide eligibility, or represent the agency. A destination check does not confirm current funding, acceptance, or an outcome.
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