Thankfully, the Social Security Administration accepted your application for disability benefits. How long should you expect to receive payments?
The SSA describes circumstances that may change your benefits eligibility. Use their guidelines to protect your financial health while adjusting to a debilitating injury or illness.
Disability review
Occasionally, the SSA reviews benefits recipients’ medical condition. When you should expect a periodic review depends on your prognosis. If doctors do not expect your condition to improve, anticipate a review no earlier than seven years. With expected medical improvement, expect a review between six and 18 months after you first receive benefits. The administration reviews recipients with a possible medical improvement status roughly every three years.
Loss of disability status
Over time, your injury or illness may heal to where you regain the ability to work. If you work in what the SSA considers a “substantial” capacity, you may lose your disabled status. The average earning amount considered substantial changes from year to year, so check the latest earning limit. Even if you do not return to work, your review results may reveal that you no longer fit the SSA’s definition of disabled. If that happens, your benefits stop.
Self-report
The administration expects benefits recipients to report any sign of improvement in their medical condition. You must also let the SSA know if you go back to work. Refer to the information received with your benefits approval letter to understand what you must report to the SSA.
The right information regarding SSDI benefits helps you experience peace of mind. Give yourself one less thing to worry about by understanding how your benefits work.
