There is an undeniable sense of relief for residents of San Diego and the surrounding areas of Southern California when they need Social Security Disability benefits and are approved. However, people might fear the possibility that their benefits will stop while they still need them. This could put them back in the same place they were in before they were approved.
Knowing how long the payments will last, what a disability review means and how to address problems that might come up is imperative. Just as with the application for benefits, it is important to have professional help.
Understanding the duration of SSD benefits and continuing reviews
There are basic facts people should know when they are first approved for benefits. Those who are receiving disability payments are expected to keep the Social Security Administration up to date on their progress. They will generally keep getting benefits if their medical issue has not gotten better and they are still unable to work.
In the past, people who were ill, injured or suffered from a condition that prevented them from working and warranted SSD benefits might not have had great prospects to improve. With medical advancements, people might improve markedly. The SSA must be informed if a person’s ability to work changes; they do go back to work; or their medical condition improves.
Periodically, the medical condition will be reviewed to see if benefits are still necessary. This is called a “continuing disability review.” The SSA will want to see if there is evidence of improvement. Once the person is declared able to work, the benefits will stop.
The person’s condition will determine the frequency of these reviews. People who have severe limitations such as being a quadriplegic will have fewer disability reviews than someone who suffered an injury that might improve with time and treatment.
Those who are expected to improve will be reviewed between six and 18 months after they were found to be disabled. If the person might improve but it cannot be predicted, the review is done approximately every three years. Those who are not expected to improve will have a review every seven years.
SSD benefits could be stopped and people may need help to keep them
As with the initial application process, people who do not think they should have had the benefits stop have the right to appeal. With SSD benefits, it is not a static situation where the benefits are approved and that is the end of the story. People can have their benefits stop even if they believe they are still unable to work and need them. For help with keeping their benefits, it is useful to have experienced legal representation.