Appeals Council Data
Why does the Appeals Council remand cases? See the top reasons, monthly trends, and how AC activity has changed over time.
AC Cases Pending
45,173
FY Monthly Data
12 months
Remand Reason Data
17 fiscal years
Latest Remand Year
FY 2025
Appeals Council Monthly Activity (FY 2025)
| Month | Receipts | Dispositions | Pending | Net Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24 | 6,702 | 5,677 | 48,408 | +1,025 |
| Nov 24 | 7,173 | 7,179 | 48,402 | -6 |
| Dec 24 | 4,896 | 4,854 | 48,444 | +42 |
| Jan 25 | 7,208 | 6,507 | 49,145 | +701 |
| Feb 25 | 5,423 | 6,021 | 48,547 | -598 |
| Mar 25 | 5,657 | 5,350 | 48,854 | +307 |
| Apr 25 | 6,608 | 6,256 | 49,206 | +352 |
| May 25 | 8,663 | 8,151 | 49,718 | +512 |
| Jun 25 | 6,918 | 6,772 | 49,864 | +146 |
| Jul 25 | 6,532 | 7,788 | 48,608 | -1,256 |
| Aug 25 | 8,940 | 10,919 | 46,629 | -1,979 |
| Sep 25 | 7,115 | 8,571 | 45,173 | -1,456 |
Top Remand Reasons — Appeals Council (FY 2025)
The most common reasons the AC sends cases back to ALJs. Address these issues in your hearing brief.
Inadequate Articulation of Supportability of Medical Source Opinion(s)
Found Persuasive Without Adequate Articulation
VE and DOT Not Reconciled (e.g., sit/stand limitations , time off task, etc.)
Medical Source Opinion(s) Not Identified or Discussed
Inadequate Articulation of Consistency of Medical Source Opinion(s)
Inadequate Rationale for Symptom Evaluation Finding
RFC - Mental Limitations Inadequately Evaluated
Inadequate Articulation of Supportability of Prior Administrative Medical Findings
Need For Assistive Device Not Adequately Evaluated
How Remand Reasons Have Changed Over Time
Showing the #1 remand reason for each fiscal year — what the AC cares most about shifts over time.
How this helps your cases
- Before a hearing: Address the top remand reasons in your brief before the ALJ can make those mistakes. If you know the AC remands most often for "inadequate articulation of medical source opinions," make sure the ALJ has no choice but to address each medical source.
- After an unfavorable decision: Compare the ALJ's decision against the top remand reasons. If they failed to address any of these, you have a strong basis for AC appeal.
- Setting client expectations: The monthly data shows how many cases the AC is processing and how big the backlog is — use this to give your client a realistic timeline.