If you are applying for disability benefits, you may be wondering how long they will last once you are approved. For many people, Social Security disability will last until they get to retirement age, where they will then switch to retirement. Your SSD benefits can also stop if you no longer meet the requirements for disability benefits.
How Long Can Someone Receive Disability Benefits?
You should receive Social Security disability benefits until you reach retirement age, which is when you apply for social security. The SSA reviews your claim every few years to ensure you still meet the disability standards established by the medical guide called the Blue Book. Some disability applicants eventually improve enough to get back to work. The SSA’s primary mission involves helping disabled workers return to the workforce.
An improvement in your health is just one way to end disability benefits. The SSA also stops disability checks for Americans that are incarcerated.
How Often is SSDI Reviewed?
Of all the factors the SSA considers for approving disability benefits, your medical condition represents the most important factor. Some medical conditions improve because of the passage of time, while other types of disabling conditions improve because of intensive treatments and physical therapy sessions. Because many disabling medical conditions improve enough to get an individual back to work, the SSA conducts periodic reviews to determine disability status.
The SSA breaks down its disability review schedule into three categories. If the SSA expects your disabling medical condition to improve, you should receive a disability review conducted by the SSA between six and 18 months after you start to receive financial assistance.
For a possible recovery from a disabling condition, the SSA conducts a disability status review every three years. For applicants that are not expected to recover from a disabling medical condition, the SSA conducts a disability status review no earlier than seven years after you receive the first disability check.
When you receive the disability claim approval notice, the SSA should inform you on when to expect the first disability status review.
What Happens When Your Disability Claim is Reviewed?
The disability status review is held at the nearest SSA office unless you are unable to travel. Then, the review takes place in your home. You need to bring the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every healthcare provider that delivered medical care.
The SSA wants to review your patient records from each of the facilities where you went for treatment and physical therapy sessions. Employment records, such as the dates when you worked and how much you received in compensation, provide the SSA with insight into your ability to get back to work.
After reviewing the paperwork associated with your claim, Disability Determination Services (DDS) issues the decision regarding your disability status. Much of the decision made by DDS is based on medical records and the information supplied by every one of your healthcare providers.
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