Form HA-520: Requesting Appeals Council Review

Form HA-520, titled Request for Review of Hearing Decision/Order, is the document you file to ask the Social Security Appeals Council to review an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) decision or dismissal. Under 20 CFR 404.968(a)(1), you must file it within 60 days after the date you receive notice of the ALJ action, which makes this form and its deadline the gateway to the final level of administrative review.

SSA's Form HA-520 page on ssa.gov explains that the preferred filing method is AC iAppeal Online, the agency's secure internet appeal process. You can also file the paper form, a signed letter stating that you want Appeals Council review, or a fax. Whichever route you choose, what you write and when you file determine whether the Council can act for you at all.

What Form HA-520 Actually Requests

The form does not ask for a new hearing, because the Council does not hold them. Under 20 CFR 404.967, any party dissatisfied with a hearing decision or dismissal may request review, and the Council then decides whether to deny or dismiss the request or to grant it and either issue a decision or remand the case to an ALJ.

In practical terms, Form HA-520 is a written argument that the ALJ made a mistake the regulations allow the Council to correct. The strongest filings point to specific errors in the decision and specific evidence in the record, rather than restating how disabling the condition feels day to day.

The 60-Day Deadline and the Five-Day Presumption

The regulation gives you 60 days after the date you receive notice of the hearing decision or dismissal. Because SSA presumes under 20 CFR 404.901 that you received the notice 5 days after the date printed on it, the working deadline is about 65 calendar days from the notice date unless you can show you actually received it later.

If you miss the deadline, all is not automatically lost. Under 20 CFR 404.968(b), you may ask for an extension of time in writing, filed with the Appeals Council, explaining why the request is late. The Council applies the good cause standards of 20 CFR 404.911, which consider serious illness, a death or serious illness in your immediate family, records destroyed by fire or accidental damage, incorrect or incomplete information from SSA, not receiving the notice, and physical, mental, educational, or linguistic limitations, among other circumstances.

Four Ways to File

SSA's current instructions offer several submission channels:

• Online: AC iAppeal Online is described by SSA as the preferred method, and it provides a timestamped confirmation.
• Fax: to 1-833-509-0817, per the fax number published on SSA's Form HA-520 page.
• Mail: to the Social Security Administration, Office of Appellate Operations, 6401 Security Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401.
• In person: at your local Social Security office, which 20 CFR 404.968(a)(2) identifies as an authorized place for filing the request.

Keep proof of whatever method you use. A fax confirmation sheet, certified mail receipt, or dated office stamp is your evidence if a dispute about timeliness ever arises. If you have questions, SSA's page directs you to call 1-800-772-1213, or TTY 1-800-325-0778 if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

Completing Each Section of the Form

SSA's page walks through the blocks on Form HA-520, and each one matters for routing and processing.

Claimant Name, SSN, and Claim Number

Enter the claimant's name and Social Security number exactly as they appear on the hearing decision. The claim number block depends on the type of claim: if you are appealing disability benefits on your own work record, you do not re-enter your SSN there, and if the claim is on another person's record, you enter that wage earner's SSN instead.

Your Reasons for Requesting Review

This is the heart of the form. Tell the Council why the ALJ decision is wrong, attaching a separate sheet if you need more space and putting your name, SSN, and claim number on every added page. The most useful statements track the review grounds in 20 CFR 404.970(a): an abuse of discretion by the ALJ, an error of law, findings not supported by substantial evidence, a broad policy issue, or new and material evidence that meets the conditions of 404.970(a)(5).

Concrete examples serve you better than general disagreement. You might point to a treating specialist's opinion the decision rejected without addressing supportability and consistency as 20 CFR 404.1520c requires, symptom findings that ignore the factors in 20 CFR 404.1529(c)(3), or a vocational expert answer that responded to a hypothetical question leaving out established limitations. Citing the exhibit or page where the error appears lets a reviewing judge find it quickly.

The Extension Checkbox

The form includes a checkbox asking the Council to grant you an extension of time to submit evidence or argument. SSA's instructions say to request an extension in writing now rather than later, because the Council can act on your request before any added materials arrive. If you know records are coming but are not in hand, checking this box preserves your chance to file them.

Signature Blocks

Sign and date the form as the claimant, entering your relationship instead if you are filing for a child or an adult who cannot act for the claimant. The representative block can be signed by your attorney or qualified representative, but SSA's instructions are explicit: do not delay filing your request in order to get the representative's signature. Print the representative's name and address if they are unavailable, and if you have no representative, your local Social Security office can give you a list of representatives who handle cases in your area. Do not write below the line marked for Social Security staff.

Submitting New Evidence With the Form

Under 20 CFR 404.968(a), you should submit any evidence you want the Council to consider together with your request for review, and the Council then evaluates it under 20 CFR 404.970. The rules are strict: the evidence must be new, material, relate to the period on or before the date of the hearing decision, come with a reasonable probability that it would change the outcome, and be accompanied by good cause for not submitting it earlier under 404.970(b).

SSA's form page adds a warning worth heeding. If you submit neither evidence nor legal argument at the time you file, and you do not obtain an extension of time, the Council will take its action based on the evidence already in your file. A separate article on this site covers the evidence rules in depth.

What Happens After You File

Once your request is docketed, the Council reviews the hearing record along with your arguments. Under 20 CFR 404.973, if it decides to review the case it mails a notice stating the reasons and the issues to be considered, except that when it plans a fully favorable decision or a remand it may send that notice together with the action itself.

The eventual outcomes run three ways under 20 CFR 404.967: the Council denies or dismisses the request, it remands the case to an ALJ under 20 CFR 404.977, or it issues its own decision under 20 CFR 404.979. If review is denied, the ALJ decision becomes the final decision of the Commissioner, and your next stop is a civil action in federal district court within 60 days under 20 CFR 404.981.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file Form HA-520 online? Yes. SSA's Form HA-520 page identifies AC iAppeal Online, SSA's secure online process, as the preferred method for appealing an ALJ decision or order. You may also file the paper form, a signed letter, or a fax.

How long do I have to file Form HA-520? Under 20 CFR 404.968(a)(1), you must file within 60 days after the date you receive notice of the hearing decision or dismissal. SSA presumes you received the notice 5 days after the date on it under 20 CFR 404.901, unless you show otherwise.

What happens if I file Form HA-520 late without good cause? The Appeals Council will dismiss the request under 20 CFR 404.971, and a dismissal is binding and not subject to further review under 20 CFR 404.972. A late filer can ask for an extension under 20 CFR 404.968(b) by showing good cause under 20 CFR 404.911.

This article provides general information about Social Security Disability Insurance rules and is not legal advice. Program regulations, appeal forms, and administrative guidelines change over time, and all figures reflect standards applicable in 2026. Consult a qualified representative or contact the Social Security Administration directly for guidance regarding your individual claim.