SSA Denial Letters, Decoded

If you were denied Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the denial letter can look like a list of strange phrases.

Understanding Social Security disability denial letter reasons helps you see what the SSA thought was missing, what you don’t qualify for, and what you need to strengthen your case.

This article explains common denial reasons and links each one to evidence you need for an appeal. It’s educational information, not legal advice, and it doesn’t promise outcomes.

Denied by the SSA? Start Here

Denials are common, but they can still hit hard. About 70% of initial applications are denied, so you’re not alone in trying to decode the letter.

Treat the denial letter like a checklist, not a judgment. The SSA is telling you what it didn’t see in your file when it made the decision.

Once you pinpoint the exact reason(s), you can respond with strong evidence for your appeal.

How to Read an SSA Disability Denial Letter

You don’t have to understand every line of the letter to move forward. Do a quick scan, finding the deadline, the type of denial, and the main reason for the denial. If you are close to the deadline, file an appeal first, then build your evidence.

The 3 Things to Find First

1. First, mark the notice date and appeal instructions. In most cases, you have 60 days from the denial date to request reconsideration. Follow the instructions in your letter.
2. Second, figure out if the denial is technical or medical. If it focuses on work credits, earnings, income, resources, or missing paperwork, it’s likely a technical issue. If it focuses on symptoms, exams, treatment, and your ability to work, it’s likely a medical decision.
3. Third, highlight the main denial reason in the explanation section. That line is your target.  Your appeal evidence should respond directly to it.

Technical vs. Medical Denial and Why This Matters

A technical denial is about eligibility rules, not your medical condition. For SSDI, it can involve work credits. For SSI, it often involves income or resources.

A medical denial means the SSA reviewed your records and decided you didn’t meet its disability rules based on the evidence in your file. These decisions typically mean the SSA thinks you can still work.

The best response is to submit missing or updated records and document your limits in a way that matches your treatment notes.

Common SSDI/SSI Denial Letter Reasons (What They Mean)

Below are eight common denial phrases. For each one, you’ll see what the SSA might say, a translation of what it means, what the SSA likely needs, and what to gather next.

The evidence map table combines everything into a checklist.

Your Condition is Not Severe or Non-Severe Impairment

• What the SSA might say: Your condition is not severe. You have a non-severe impairment.
• Translation: The SSA didn’t see enough proof that your limits affect basic work activities. This happens when the file lists diagnoses but doesn’t show day-to-day function.
• What the SSA likely needs: Details about your work limitations for activities like standing, lifting, using your hands, or staying focused.
• Evidence to gather next: Treatment notes that describe your limits, plus a clear description of what happens when you try to do these basic activities.

Your Condition Does Not Meet or Equal a Listing

• What the SSA might say: Your condition does not meet or equal a listing.
• Translation: Listings have strict medical requirements, and the SSA didn’t see enough proof that your condition matches or equals one. This does not end your case.
• What the SSA likely needs: Missing criteria, like tests or records from a specialist.
• Evidence to gather next: Specialist records, relevant test results, and ongoing notes showing the condition has continued.

We Do Not Have Enough Medical Evidence or Insufficient Evidence

• What the SSA might say: We do not have enough medical evidence. There is insufficient evidence to evaluate your claim.
• Translation: The record was incomplete, outdated, or too thin to support a decision. This happens when records were never received or recent care is missing.
• What the SSA likely needs: A complete record over time, with consistent documentation of symptoms and function.
• Evidence to gather next: A complete provider list, updated medical visits, and proof that records were received.

You Can Return to Your Past Work

• What the SSA might say: You can return to your past work.
• Translation: The SSA thinks you can still do one of your prior jobs as it understands that job. This can happen because of an incomplete job description.
• What the SSA likely needs: A clearer picture of your job demands and how your limits affect them.
• Evidence to gather next: A detailed work history description, plus medical notes and provider statements tied to job function limitations.

You Can Adjust to Other Work or Other Work Exists

• What the SSA might say: You can adjust to other work. Other work exists in the national economy that you can do.
• Translation: The SSA agrees you can’t do past work, but thinks you can do other jobs based on your RFC (residual functional capacity).
• What the SSA likely needs: More specific proof of limits to things like pace and reliability that affect your ability to work full-time.
• Evidence to gather next: Evidence showing limits like needing to lie down, needing extra breaks, missing days, limited hand use, or major social limits.

You Did Not Follow Prescribed Treatment

• What the SSA might say: You did not follow prescribed treatment.
• Translation: The SSA may be questioning how severe your condition is because your treatment looks inconsistent.
• What the SSA likely needs: Proof of reasonable treatment attempts or documented reasons why you couldn’t follow the treatment. Explain why there are treatment gaps.
• Evidence to gather next: Notes showing side effects, cost barriers, transportation problems, or mental health barriers.

You Did Not Attend a Consultative Exam or Failure to Cooperate

• What the SSA might say: You did not attend a consultative exam (CE). Failure to cooperate.
• Translation: A CE is an exam the SSA schedules when it needs more information. If you miss it, the SSA may deny you because the record is incomplete.
• What the SSA likely needs: Completion of the CE or other evidence that provides the information. The SSA also needs reliable contact information.
• Evidence to gather next: Documentation of why you missed the CE, any rescheduling request, and proof that your address and phone number are current.

Technical Denial Phrases to Know

• What the SSA might say: For SSDI, you are not insured or you do not have enough work credits. For SSI, your income or resources are too high. For either program, you are working and earning too much.
• Translation: These are eligibility issues, not decisions about your medical condition. The SSA may not have reviewed the medical part of your claim. If you weren’t insured, you may not have reason to appeal.
• What the SSA likely needs: Correct work and earnings details for SSDI if applicable, or accurate financial documentation for SSI. 
• Evidence to gather next: The documents the letter requests, plus records that correct or confirm the information the SSA used.

The Evidence Map: Denial Reason and What to Gather

You don’t want to send the SSA every record you can find. You want to send evidence that answers the denial reason so your appeal is easier to understand.

Use the table below as a checklist. If your letter lists more than one reason, you can work across multiple rows.

Table: What to Gather for the Most Common Denial Reasons