Fighting Social Security denial for 18-year-old with dyslexia at non-traditional school - need appeal advice

I went through something similar with my daughter last year. SSA can be really rigid about what qualifies as a \

Thank you so much for these specifics! I've never heard of Form 1372 - is that something I can download from the SSA website? Our center director is already working on a letter, but I'll make sure she addresses all those points you mentioned. Did you have to attend an actual hearing for your appeal or was it all done through documentation?

my nephew had same thing happen. they said his online school wasnt real school!! SSA is so behind the times. took 3 months to get benefits back and we never got retroactive pay for the missed months. The whole thing is rigged!!!!

That's exactly what I'm worried about - even if we win the appeal, I'm concerned about the gap in benefits. Did you specifically request backpay for the missed months? I'm sorry you never received it.

Yes, Form 1372 is on the SSA website. Here's the direct link: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-1372.pdfWe didn't have a formal hearing. We submitted all documentation with our written appeal request and included a cover letter specifically requesting a \

This is incredibly helpful! I just downloaded the form. I never thought about getting a letter from his doctor, but that makes so much sense since his dyslexia is medically documented. Did you submit everything by mail or did you take it to your local office?

I'm a former SSA claims specialist, and I can add some insight here. The key regulation you need to focus on is that for auxiliary benefits to continue past age 18, the student must be:1. Attending an educational institution full-time (at least 20 hours weekly)2. Enrolled in a program that provides educational credits toward a diploma/degree OR provides vocational trainingMany specialized schools absolutely qualify, but SSA representatives sometimes apply overly narrow interpretations. Your appeal should specifically cite POMS RS 00205.300 (SSA's internal policy manual) which covers non-traditional educational settings.Make sure your documentation proves the school meets both elements above. Benefits can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.

Thank you so much for this insider perspective! I've never heard of POMS RS 00205.300 but I'll definitely cite it in my appeal letter. His school definitely meets the 20+ hours weekly requirement, and they do provide credits toward his diploma. This gives me hope that we have a strong case.

have you tried calling SSA directly? its literally impossible to get thru to them, i tried for days when my dads check was wrong

Yes, I've tried calling multiple times! Either I wait on hold for 2+ hours or get disconnected. I finally got through once but the rep wasn't very helpful. It's so frustrating trying to resolve this when you can't even talk to someone.

I had a similar issue getting through on the phone when appealing my son's benefit termination. After wasting days trying to reach SSA, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUIt was honestly worth it since I needed specific information for my appeal paperwork and couldn't wait weeks for an appointment. The agent I spoke with actually helped me understand exactly what documentation would strengthen my case.

does it actually work? seems to good to be true, SS phone system is the WORST

It worked for me twice when I needed to follow up on my appeal. Saved me hours of frustration, especially since our local office is still appointment-only and booking 3 months out.

My daughter get same denial at 18. We appealed to, they denied again. Said her homeschool co-op not real school. The law says they HAVE to be in accredited institution. Lot of specialized schools aren't accredited so they dont count for SS benefits. My advice is check if your school has proper accreditation or ur wasting your time

This is incorrect information. SSA does NOT require accreditation for a school to qualify for student benefits. Their definition is much broader. From their own policy: \

SSA is sooooo behind the times with educational definitions!!!! My grandson was in a specialized program for kids with autism and we had to fight for MONTHS to keep his benefits. It's like they think every school has to be exactly the same!!But we WON our appeal by getting our state dept of education to write a letter confirming the program met state educational requirements. Try contacting your state education dept to see if they can provide something similar about your son's school. That was the turning point for our case!

That's brilliant! I hadn't thought about getting documentation from the state education department. I'm going to call them tomorrow. Did you work with anyone specific there? Like was there a particular department or role that was most helpful?

We spoke with someone in the

Just wanted to update this thread - WE WON THE APPEAL! After submitting all the documentation everyone suggested (Form 1372, letter from the school director, doctor's note, and most importantly the letter from our state education department), SSA reversed their decision.The state education department letter confirming that my son's specialized school meets educational requirements was definitely the key piece of evidence. They've reinstated his benefits AND will be sending backpay for the months he missed.For anyone dealing with this issue, definitely cite POMS RS 00205.300 like @former_claims_specialist suggested, and get that state education dept verification. Thank you all for your help!

That's fantastic news! So happy to hear your appeal was successful. Thanks for updating us - it's helpful for others who might face similar issues in the future.