If you are disabled, you may have concerns that you’ll stop receiving the monthly payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). But you don’t need to worry. Your disability benefits will continue if you are still unable to work. However, there are specific scenarios in which they can stop:
If your medical condition improves
Depending on your condition, the SSA will require you to get medical examinations after 6 to 18 months or every three or seven years. During the examinations, a doctor will review your condition and check if it has improved. The SSA will look over your medical tests and treatments, and if the doctor thinks you can go back to work, they will stop your benefits.
If you have committed a crime
The SSA won’t pay you for the months that you are in jail, prison or any other penal institution for committing a crime. However, if someone depends on you, they can still receive your benefits while you are incarcerated.
If you move to certain countries
If you are a U.S citizen, you can still receive your disability benefits if you move or travel to another country. However, the SSA can’t send payments to the following countries:
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Cuba
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Moldova
- North Korea
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
You can ask the SSA to make an exception, but Cuba and North Korea are out of the question.
If you are not following the treatment plan
The SSA can stop your payments if they feel that you are not cooperating with them. You need to follow the treatment that your doctor ordered. Otherwise, the SSA will think that you could probably work if you had followed the treatment, and they will stop your benefits.
If you are working
You should always let the SSA know if you start to work, no matter how little you earn. If your earnings average more than $1,310 a month, the SSA will stop sending payments.
Appealing the SSA’s decision
If the SSA decides to stop your disability benefits, and you disagree, you have the right to appeal their decision. If you appeal, the SSA will ask people who did not participate in the initial decision to review your case. If the reconsideration decision is negative, you may request a hearing before an administrative judge.