Appeals under the SSI Program: January 1974-August 1976

This study of appeals under the supplemental security income (SSI) program has several purposes: (1) To describe the appellate process and provide information on those requesting appeals (including reason for eligibility, program status, and age) and (2) to determine the relationship between these characteristics and the decisions at the three stages of the appellate process. About 312,000 reconsideration requests were processed from January 1974 to August 1976. These requests had been filed by adult and child SSI applicants who disagreed with the initial determinations of the Social Security Administration. Disabled persons requested nearly 95 percent of these reconsiderations. Approximately one-third of the applicants whose initial determination was reaffirmed after reconsideration then requested a hearing. Ninety-seven percent of these requests were filed by disabled persons. For those cases in which the earlier decisions were reaffirmed after hearings, 9,300 applicants requested a review by the Appeals Council. Eighty-two percent of these requests were denied.