A claimant who is dissatisfied with an ALJ's decision may request a review of the
decision by the AC. The AC may deny a request for review if it would result in no
advantage to the claimant, or it may grant review and affirm, modify, or reverse the
ALJ's decision. Occasionally the AC remands the case to the ALJ for additional development
and consideration and for preparation of an amended hearing decision. Even though
a claimant may not request AC review, the AC may institute a review of the ALJ's decision
on its own motion or the recommendation of the Program Service Center-Disability Review
Section (PSC-DRS). The AC usually sees only the hearing record developed by the ALJ,
i.e., affidavits, documentary evidence, and testimony obtained by the ALJ, and the
SSA disability file. The AC may invite the claimant or the claimant’s authorized representative
to submit additional evidence, and the claimant or claimant’s representative may appear
before the Council. Also, the AC may ask various sources for additional information
before reaching a decision.