Social Security periodically reviews disability cases to ensure that the person who is receiving disability benefits is still eligible to receive them. This is called a continuing disability review and there is helpful information available about this process.
Review process and frequency
Social Security will ask the beneficiary how his or her medical condition affects their life and whether it has improved. It may ask for their doctor’s contact information and medical records. The medical records can reflect how the medical condition affects the beneficiary’s activities and what treatment he or she has received.
It will review whether the beneficiary’s medical condition has improved enough to return to work and if the person has worked since the last review, Social Security may also ask what type of work was performed, the pay the person received and the dates the work was completed.
If the person’s disability is expected to improve, the review will generally occur within 6-18 months of the date when the person became disabled. Social Security will review the case approximately every three years if the improvement cannot be predicted and approximately every seven years if improvement is not expected.
Impact to benefits
If Social Security believes that the person’s medical condition has improved and he or she can work, the benefits will end. They may also end if the person isn’t following the treatment his or her doctor ordered without good cause and could work if he or she followed the treatment, if the person provides false or misleading information to Social Security or does not cooperate with the review.
The continuing disability review process can be complex and the outcome is dependent on the individual’s circumstances. An experienced attorney can help.