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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marie
reveiws are so rude it takes years to get approved then you want to add stress by causing people to not be able to pay bills and be homeless once approved leave people alone
Anthony D.
How many appeal do you get?
L.A.
Hello Anthony. Good question! Generally, the Social Security appeals process has four levels. Check out our publication titled “The Appeals Process,” for more information. We hope this information is helpful.
Recent S.
Since December of 2018, I have been threatened by letter and voice concerning submission of “required decision-making information”. Yet, a decision date has come and gone without any response from a adjudicator who seems more like a disability submission clerk than anything else.
I was told on a few occasions that if my response did not reach the SSA, a decision would be made without delay. Every letter I received is dated on or near a weekend and is always three days old. This means that I only have two working days to submit. (my adjudicator does not inform me that the information requested is received.)
At the end of the day, SSA, the governing body of funds set aside for disabled Americans (people), collects over 2 Billion dollars weekly (based on collecting 25.00 from only 40 million full-time workers).
Someone told me, “we can’t pay out to everyone with a claim.”…ridiculously false. Funds paid into SS is for people who have never worked and those that have. I personally know a SSAD recipient who never worked a day, never contributed, and the monies given for the past 30 years is half of my benefits (a working person’s allotment).
There are so many things wrong with SSA it is not funny. The obvious cases where children have birth defects, permanent injuries and other ‘immediate decision making conditions’, a non-medical staff could approve without even seeing a picture. But, I what about people like me?
2 Billion dollars a week vs. the cost of a .357 bullet at Walmart…. Let’s explore it, shall we?
I am beyond depression. I would never admit it to my doctor because I enjoy the freedom God granted every human.
I have killed myself, over 600 times. I have served my country, as a patriot. I served my community, as a Sheriff Deputy. I served my employer, as a criminal investigator. I have a 100% conviction rate in the U.S. Court System. I have recovered over $720,000 for my employer. I prosecuted over 800 criminals, as well.
I am African American with two diseases (Kidney and Diabetes), over the age of 54, and made a decision for myself.
First, my real problem is that I have grown weary of trusting people to ‘do what you get paid to do’. I expect a gas station attendant to pump gas. I do not expect a gas station attendant to file my taxes, for example.
Your seat has an ass-groove in it. But I ask, what have you done for me? What are you willing to do for me? Are you willing to allow me a pittance of income? Or, will you pay survivor benefits?
My life, as someone once said to me, is nothing. I am nobody. There are twelve more just like me waiting in line.
Someone could have taken all of my illnesses with compassion. Instead, they used numbers and dates. Much like we do with cattle and fruit. No one cares about a ripe apple falling to the ground.
I do not want a hand-out. I do not expect greed nor power to understand compassion. I do not expect anything to come from me being dead.
I told you (SSA) that I am sick. I applied for a peace of mind, perhaps a death warrant, where my expectations were trampled on by bureaucracy. Do you think I am sick enough for disability based on my mental condition now? Tell it to my wife, my children, my mother, and all other family and friends.
When you decide on my survivor benefits, tell it to the judge. Oh, wait, your the mighty powerful SSA and do not have repercussions on poor decisions and failure to do what you get paid to do.
In closing, I ask you…Why didn’t you send me to a psychologist to verify the worse of all my diseases? Is it because you spent more time trying to find a ‘No’ than a ‘Yes’?
At the end of the day, you are correct in saying that the american people are nobody. We mean nothing. But I tell you this, your day is coming too. But worry not because I don’t believe in you, but I forgive you for what you have done with the paper bearing my name.
No hard feelings from me. I just ask that someone in the chain of fools ‘do what you get paid to do’…Please.
Jaque T.
If I am waiting for a letter from SSI to go to court to see if I am going to get approved for my benefits and I am putting in applications for a part time or full time job will that effect my chances of getting of getting my SSI benefits?
A.C.
Hi, Jaque. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is a needs-based program that pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. The amount of your SSI benefit is based, in part, on the income available to you. If you return to work, your work may affect your claim and any benefits you could receive, if approved. For more information, check out our publication, Working While Disabled-How We Can Help. We hope this helps.
Destroyed H.
Hi I’m on supplemental social security income for ptsd and during the process of aplying I found out I’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness as a child but nobody told me about it.. the therapist who helped me get on ssi I stop seeing because while I was seeing her I filed for 50/50 custody for my kid and that ended up with my rights being violated because of hippa by a therapist I had as a child to where I don’t know what to do. I told my most recent therapist when I met her one of my fears was my life being told at a dinner or somewhere to someone like it’s a movie or just in general. She said therapist don’t break hippa but it happened and is still happening to me. II lost custody to my kid because of this and can barely even step foot outside of my house. Getting a review letter this fast I don’t know what to do or expect. I really can’t keep talking to people about my life, but I feel like I’m about to have no choice. I have been seeing therapist since I was a child and now I’m 28 with another traumatic thing that happened I don’t I really don’t want to speak to another random person about my life. My review is in 9 days and I’m now full of anxiety about this not including one thing i would tell my therapist is people judge me and treat me like I’m just a piece of trash. Which is true.. my most recent therapist I would meet every week until the day I read a report by the person my childhood therapist said about me. If anything happens to my ssi I’m going to be homeless with 2 kids. I already am broke because of an illegal child support case that nobody will take account for when I have the proof that’s taking half of my ssi just to be able to have a drivers license that I need to make sure I can drive my new child places legally. I told them I help pay rent also and they didn’t put I did so my monthly amount is gone right when I get it since I help my new child’s mother with what I can which doesn’t help at all really. My relationship might be over soon because of me and my mental issues that make it so I can’t help with any bills really and I’m a mental mess. Therapy has not helped me especially after what recently happened, the medication I’m on my doctor that I seen monthly is no longer doing family practice so I have to find a new doctor but I’m to scared to even find a new one but I need to for my medication. And to make things better since hippa was violated I have been trying to find an attorney and can’t even do so because of my mental health. One told me to go seek mental help.. this is damaging..
Glenn G.
I am trying to find if there has been a decision on my appeal hearing on February 25,2019. I set up my account
today so I can review the status of my hearing. Would I receive any messages or be able to see the outcome of the hearing. I am somewhat computer illiterate and have trouble doing some of the things most think are quite simple. Thank-you and your whole tea does a fantastic job. Sincerely
A.C.
Hi, Glenn. Thanks for your question. The length of time it takes to receive a decision on your disability claim can vary depending on several factors such as the nature of your disability, how quickly we obtain medical evidence from your doctor or other medical sources, and if your claim is randomly selected for a quality assurance review of the decision. You will be notified, in writing, once a final decision is made on your claim. You will also be able to see the decision online using your personal my Social Security account once it is finalized. We hope this helps.
Sarra T.
Could you email me the statement showing how much I collected for 2017
Thank you
beverly v.
how long will it be before I hear an answer from you reguarding the reveiw
K.O.
Hello Beverly, the Social Security Act sets out a strict definition for disability. We pay disability benefits to people who are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last one year or more or to end in death. See “What We Mean By Disability”. The time it takes to get a decision on your disability review application can vary depending on:
• The nature of your disability;
• How quickly we can get your medical evidence from your doctor or other medical source;
• Whether it is necessary to send you for a medical examination;
• and Whether we review your application for quality purposes.
We hope this helps.
Lee E.
I receive SSDI and my wife of 25 years passed away last year can my SSDI benefits increase
V.V.
Hi Lee, we are very sorry for your loss. Your widowers amount would be based on your deceased wife’s earnings. The more she paid into Social Security, the higher the survivor benefit will be. If she was already receiving benefits when she passed, survivors benefits are based on that amount. The percentage of that amount that you could receive depends on how old you are when you file as a widower. We are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record, meaning you don’t get both disability and widow(er)s benefits but the higher of the two.
Widowers benefit are payable as early as age 60 (for a reduced benefit) or a full widowers benefit at full retirement age or older.
Use our Survivors Planner to look at how your family members are protected if you die.
Sherri
I have a medical review coming up! I work while disabled! Been on disability since 1992! Went thur bad divorce sent me out to make a living working part time! Last year after 7 years sending in all my check stubs I had a work review! Almost lost all my SSDI ! My boss lets me take extra breaks work irregular hours and less hours so that form being filled out I get 30 % subsidy! I still keep my hours under 23 can not work more then that! I will be turning 61 in April I was wondering why it took them 7 years to do a medical review this time and also why it took 7 years to do my work review ? All the out pocket exsensives check stubs were pitched ! Another office did the work review now she’s moved out state now I am dealing with this office that just pitched my stuff to the side before! How often do they do work reviews? And will I Always receive this subsidy from extra help from my job? Thank You
Sincerely Sherri
A.C.
Thank you for your question, Sherri. The Social Security Administration reviews cases from time to time to make sure the individuals receiving checks are still eligible to get them. The review depends on how severe your medical condition is and the likelihood it will improve. Generally, if medical improvement is possible, we will do a continuing disability review (CDR) approximately every 3 years. If not, we may review it less frequently. If you have further questions, you should contact your local Social Security office to discuss your case. You can ask to speak to a supervisor on your next visit or call. We hope this helps.