How We Review Your Disability Benefits
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: April 14, 2016
When you receive disability benefits, Social Security will periodically conduct a review of your condition to make sure you still qualify for blind or disability benefits. With the right information, you can be prepared when this happens.
When your case comes up for review, we’ll send you a letter asking you to come to your local Social Security office. We’ll ask you about how your medical condition affects you and whether it’s improved. We’ll also ask you to bring information about your medical treatment and any work you have performed since Social Security decided you were disabled.
A disability examiner from your state’s Disability Determination Services will request reports from your medical providers, and will carefully review all the information in your case. If the medical evidence is not complete or current, we may ask you to have a medical exam at no cost to you.
Social Security conducts a disability review of your case approximately every three years depending on the nature and severity of your medical condition and whether it’s expected to improve. If we don’t expect improvement, we’ll review your case every seven years.
When we conduct a disability review, if we find that your medical condition hasn’t improved and is still preventing you from working, you’ll continue to receive benefits. Your benefits only stop if the evidence shows your medical condition has improved and you are able to work regularly.
If you disagree with our decision, you can appeal and ask us to look at your case again. When we notify you of our decision, we will explain how you can appeal that decision.
You can visit us online for more information, or read our publication What You Need to Know When You Get Social Security Disability Benefits.
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Tags: Disability
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Lawrence O.
I would like to know where we are at in the process of filing. We filed in December and only received one letter that said that you had received our application. Please let us know as this is very important for us as his medical condition has separated him from his job.
]We also need to know how to update the application with another doctor as my husband has changed neurologists. He now sees Dr. Bhattycharia at St. Josephs Hospital in Pontiac, MI.
free t.
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Donald H.
i was 58cents over substantial gainful activity amount for 2016 in ohio. i wonder if my lawyer should have sent in the $600 i receive in my 3 weeks a year vacation pay. the vacation pay was counted as my income. thank you
Jessica M.
Hello my names jessica mccallister. I was never told what was there finding. Like what is my diagnosis. I need this information,so i can give it to my cps, worker.
R.F.
Hello Jessica. To obtain your medical records, you should contact your local office to request a copy of your medical file. Your records will likely be provided in CD format at no cost. Thanks!
Denise J.
My son was cut off after a review.but he has not got no better he has gotten worser. He now have to be put under every 3 months for his gastro problems.and the doctor say it can go on until he grown.he is understandable weight.he barely can eat cause his throat hurts alot.the stomach pains.the coughing.the vomiting.he has poor weight gain. He can’t run and play to much with out getting short of breath.he has asthma..gerd and more. Mostly everything he eat he has a allergic reaction to.and so much more on.skin rashes on the face leggs and everything.his teacher say he will not be going to first grade he will be repeating kindergarten.and she say he very small compared to the other kids in his class. He has a speech problem to.plus he on like 9 different medications. So I don’t understand why he was cut off.he some times go to hospital 5 or 6 times each month.
sickofitall
This is a waste of taxpayers money and is useless to all the people that are forced under threat to go to. I was denied 3 times after these exams back in 2009 to 2013.It took an attorney to go to the judge on appeal with all my medical records to finally get approved.Here is is 3 years later,and no one can represent me as there is no money for them in it since it is a review. So i have no help what so ever.I have doctors and medical records and all the 4 packets of damn forms they sent me,they still say they are missing information! They didn’t even know about the loss of vision and the cataracts and diabetic downfall of my vision on top of heart disease rheumatoid arthritis ptsd depression anxiety bone loss tmj memory loss fibromyalgia constant pain severe stress hypertension high blood sugar(diabetes 1 is tearing me up) And more conditions. So being approved, I have been on 15 medications a day just to get through the day. I have NO life outside of meds and insulin and pain. Medicare recently decided to take a chunk of my disability and are now throwing the cost of premiums on me. I cannot pay the rent and utilities now,on top of having no food or paying the car payment for my old car. I was homeless on and off since jan 2015. I was forced to live with bad people on and off. I finally got an apt in low income. I have not been able to breathe easy for 1 day here since SS decided to bully me once again. SSI already ended my medicaid and $70 a month.Supposedly living on 1k a month income is too much for SSI. So now it’s even lower due to medicare ripping into my check. You can’t win. They just want to stick it to you until you die. That’s how the world works.
tony l.
I’ve been applying for Social Security my mother been playing for me ever since I was since 1990 and I had I thought the letter in the house and it said that I was I was a disabled individual but my income was Zero and I believe that I have some Cricket management who probably supposed to help me get on Social Security and I even got a paper saying you know about my I had a car to get around I bought a car to get around and I’ll type of things I need to know table for Social Security or SSI cuz I got a letter saying that I’m a disabled individual but my payments was Zero I don’t understand it
y I’m 30 something years old I keep trying to work I cannot hold a job not even for a year I’m not good at working I can’t hold a job I can’t focus I can’t read that well I can’t add and my temper is very snapping and I’m very emotional
William W.
It appears my Disability payments have stopped. The last direct deposit was 011718 into my Bank of America account. I received no notice. I did receive an annual review from Liberty Mutual whose insurance policy provides the other part of my benefit. I was approved by Liberty Mutual. Can someone help me? My cell number is 978-335-1714
Eileen K.
I received a review of benefits letter that I mailed a reply on March 16th for due date of March 24, 2018. I received a subsequent letter saying that my benefits for my twin sons, James E. Connelly (8943) and Ryan M. Connelly (1953) (Last four digits of SS#) that the benefits would be cut off on April 3, 2018 if I don’t respond. I’m on hold with SSA right now and am sending this email. That’s three responses. Let me know if you received letters and emails.
R.F.
Unfortunately, but for security reasons, we do not have access to personal records in this blog. Please continue working with your local office. If you are unable to visit the local office, you can call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later in the week. Thanks.
Eddie D.
I need my Benefits back, I didnt deserve them being taken away, I have bills I cannot pay now. I have been on social security 15 + years. I have a son who is 9 yrs old. My Bipolar hasn’t changed and I am only getting worst in my old age. Please give my 680.00 a month back or I will go crazy.