Obtaining Social Security disability benefits can be an arduous process. After the paperwork is filed, the waiting is done and you are approved for benefits, you may wonder, how long will these benefits last?
Individuals in Philadelphia may be relieved to know that, in general, SSD benefits will last as long as they are disabled. However, from time to time the Social Security Administration will review an individual’s case to determine that the individual’s disability continues to exist and to determine whether that individual should continue receiving benefits.
The lynchpin of a benefits review is whether one can expect his or her medical condition to improve. If it is “expected” that a person’s medical condition will improve, a review will take place between six and 18 months after the person’s disability payments begin. If improvement is merely “possible,” then an individual’s condition will not be reviewed until three years have passed. Finally, if an improvement in a person’s medical condition is “not expected,” then an individual’s condition will not be reviewed until seven years have passed. In addition, if an individual’s condition improves, he or she may need to notify the Social Security Administration of that fact.
If a person’s medical condition has improved so much that the individual cannot be considered disabled, he or she will no longer be eligible to receive disability benefits. Periodic reviews help the Social Security Administration determine when this is the case. If an individual in Philadelphia is receiving disability benefits and has questions about the review process, he or she can speak to a Social Security disability attorney.
Source: SSA.gov, “Disability Planner: Reviewing Your Disability,” Accessed Nov. 9, 2015
