Fillable Form SSA-561-U2 (2026)

Form SSA-561-U2, Request for Reconsideration, is used to ask the Social Security Administration to review a decision you disagree with. You may use it after a decision about Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits, such as eligibility, payment amounts, or an overpayment. It is often the first formal step in the SSA appeal process.

The SSA-561-U2 Form PDF lets you explain which decision you want reviewed and why you believe it is wrong. You may also submit records or other evidence that supports your case. A different SSA employee who took no part in the first decision will review the claim.

You generally must request reconsideration within 60 days after you receive the decision notice. SSA usually assumes you received the notice five days after its date unless you can show that it arrived later. Missing the deadline may put your appeal rights at risk, though SSA may accept a late request if you show good cause.

Use Form SSA-561-U2 when you disagree with a Social Security Administration decision and want it reviewed again. This may include a medical denial of Social Security disability or SSI benefits. You may also use it for a non-medical decision, such as an issue involving benefits under Title II, Title XVI, or Medicare entitlement under Title XVIII.

The form can also request review of a decision that ends or lowers SSI or Special Veterans Benefits payments. In those cases, you may choose a case review, an informal conference, or a formal conference when those options apply. The reconsideration process determines whether the original decision should remain in place or be changed.

You can get a blank Form SSA-561-U2 in PDFLeader. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which issues the form, also publishes it, but you do not need to download a template from another site. A blank SSA-561-U2 fillable PDF is preloaded in our browser-based editor and ready for you to complete.

PDFLeader helps you fill out and download the completed form for future use. It does not file or submit Form SSA-561-U2 to the SSA. Follow the SSA’s current delivery instructions when you are ready to send your request.

To submit the SSA-561-U2 Form online, sign in through the Social Security website and search for Request for Reconsideration (SSA-561-U2). Complete the online steps, save the document to your device, upload it, and submit it through the portal.

For mail or in-person filing, send or take the completed original to your local Social Security office. If you are outside the United States, you may deliver it to the Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Manila or any U.S. Foreign Service post. Keep a copy for your records.

You need to complete Form SSA-561-U2 if an SSA decision directly affects your Social Security or SSI benefits and you want reconsideration. Your appointed representative may complete or help prepare the form for you if they are eligible to act on your behalf.

After the request is filed, SSA staff use the information to process the appeal. For a disability decision, the request goes to the state Disability Determination Services agency. The agency assigns the claim to a disability examiner who did not make the original decision, allowing a separate review.

SSA guidance says a wet signature is not required for this reconsideration request. You can type your name or draw a simple electronic signature on our platform, then download the completed form. PDFLeader does not create digital signatures or submit the form. If you prefer to sign by hand, download and print it first. Check the latest SSA updates before sending your request through an approved submission method.

Have the claimant’s full legal name and initial SSA determination ready. Enter the Name of Claimant and Claim Number, which is usually the claimant’s Social Security number and appears on the determination. For “I disagree with the determination made on this claim for,” state the type of benefit, such as disability, retirement, or SSI. Then explain My Reason(s) for Disagreement in detail.

Under Additional Evidence to be Submitted, identify any new medical records or other relevant evidence that you will attach. Complete the signature block with the Claimant’s Signature, Date, Address, and Telephone Number. If someone else signs, give that person’s relationship to the claimant. If the claimant signs by mark, two witnesses must print their names and addresses. Leave the SSA Use Only/Office Section blank.

Form SSA-561-U2 is due within 60 days after you receive the Social Security Administration’s decision. The SSA generally assumes you received the decision five days after the date on the notice, unless you can show that it arrived later.

If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to appeal. The SSA may extend the deadline if you show good cause, such as hospitalization or mental incapacity. Send a written explanation of why your request is late and include facts or records that support your reason.

You do not need Form SSA-561-U2 when you submit a disability or non-medical reconsideration request online through Social Security. You also do not need to file it yourself if an appointed representative or another authorized party submits the request for you.

SSA may also decide that no reconsideration request was made if your filing only asks for information, a lower overpayment recovery amount, or a waiver of repayment. In that case, SSA may dismiss the filing rather than treat it as an appeal.