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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Dave J.
What is the amount you can earn while on Social security disability per year
R.F.
thank you for your question, Dave. A person may still be eligible for disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program if they work. However, their earnings cannot exceed a certain amount. This is called the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit. In 2018, the SGA limit is $1,180 per month (or $1,970 for blind applicants). In addition to the amount of money you make, Social Security may also look at the number of hours you’re able to work.
For more information visit our “Returning To Work” web page.
We hope this helps!
gail s.
tina leigh my friend lost social security disability because she workrd alot of hours and owes them4 thousand dollars and hasnt gone to social security office to see why she lost it or attempted to make payments what will happen to her?
Free m.
Thank you for information about disability of benefits. Your article is good. vtsbharath organization conducted free medical test in various places.
Stehanie
I filed October 2017 for my daughter. The local office is playing games and even the main office is upset. The decision is made and it is past the 120 days. I called my local office 13 tines today to get answered and immediately hung up on. So I called the main office and after verification process was told that she has been approved. But the local office has not sent the forms to me or to wherever else they are needed. How long should the wait period be after hearing this information?
Because apparently calling the local office is out of the question. And going in I would be waiting for up to 5 hours.
Belinda C.
SSA needs to Update its Blog on how the disability review (CDR) process has changed since 2014.
Now 2017, (at least in Ohio) When your case comes up for periodic review the first Notice you Receive is the “Notice of Continuing Disability Review” along with the SSA-454BK, and SSA-27. So that means the review has already started.
Also there is no contact, meeting or psychic connection with any living pperson at any time, Its only fill out those two forms and it gets farmed out to the Ohio DDD agency that does all initial SSDI/SSI disability determinations. denials of same, reconsideration of their own denials, until it goes to ALJ who is usually first person to actually apply the SSA laws to any of it.
The Ohio DDD does these CDR (medical) the same as the Initial Determination. The letter they send out is even the same one saying SSA has sent “your” claim to them to determine if you are Disabled/Blind and elegible to receive Benefits. When they make a “Decision” on your Claim they will Notify you.
About a Month later you will usually receive a Notice Of Disability Cessation from them saying Medical Improvement. They will skip over the SSA Laws regarding ability to perform SGA, usually have no Vocational Records of PRW but they say there is “other work” you can do.
Oh and the Medical Evidence is a single Report from a Clinic. No Dr. Names or anything else. (Clinic is at least the same one your Psychiatrist is in).
This is happening to a particular set of Recipients. From what I can find out its mostly Adults who fought for their SSI Awards for very Specific Mental Disorders in 2012-2015 and the CDR was the first one after their Initial Determination of Disability, which would be their CPD forMIRS Medical Improvement if this was really done to the SSA Laws.
But I only bring this up because if SSA really want’s to save money they should first look at their use of State DDS Agencies that are not following the SSA Laws and causing needless Appeals, Re considerations, DHO Hearings, ALJ Case Loads, all of which cost SSA money on their end and SSA will be blamed by everyone from Claimants to Politicians. Even though SSA is just being duped.
Christina J.
I an 62 yrs old and have been cut off of ssd, I have had two brain tumours and had suffered gran mul seizures and because I live with landlord/friend they accuse me of living in a common/law relationship. I pay $450.00 rent per mouth and $70.00 utility bill. I have a golden retriever who knows when I going to have a seizure. So where do I live on the street. That’s what happened to me and just before Christmas they cut me off so I did not receive my Christmas cheque and my pills are &400.00 per mouth and they cut me off just like that without any worning. I am a born and raised Canadian
Amy p.
I received a letter by mail, requesting information to be filled out and sent from Arkansas , but has a return address of London Kentucky, there are a lot of typing errors as well, Iam afraid they are a fraud, how do I find out?
Teresa H.
Not working on here any more. So sad… I need help So why not just shaft me
dianna h.
sorry i need help with the form. i didn’t mean to get off in the medical part, it has become my whole life it seems.
can my survivor nurse navigator who i got after a year of being cancer free help?
if i need all the appts i will have to find someone with the info from the hospital clinics that closed.
this has pretty much overwhelmed me. together with the morning pooping regimen and then me trying to find this stuff i have messed up the form and i am afraid i will write the wrong things.
please someone tell me what to do to get help. when i call the ssa they haven’t been so helpful.
can my survivor nurse navigator help me being that she knows my case?
thank you
R.F.
Hi Dianna. Yes, your nurse can help you complete the form.
dianna h.
i find the form really complicated. i cannot tell if i am supposed to list every visit with a doctor for the entire year or just the names of the doctors i have seen, their address and telephone numbers and what they have done… then ssi will talk to them further?
i am actually 58 years old and will be 59 this December 20th.
the hospital where the majority of the oncology, chemo and diabetes as well as gasrtro clinics were in a hospital that recently closed.
this has made it hard for me to find all the appt info for the months they were closing and after i go to the same people but they are no longer in the hospital clinics.
this is so confusing.
as for me, i have had diarrhea pretty much ever since my emergency colon cancer surgery and chemo.
i wear diapers (thank you God for there being diapers for adults) and it is very hard for me in the morning often taking 2 or more commonly 3 hours to get where i can safely get up and about without another big load of poop which means, diaper change, sitz bath at least, and sometimes complete clothing change.