If you receive Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, you must provide periodic updates on your medical condition. By doing so, you will ensure that you continue to receive these much-needed benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
In the SSA’s continuing disability reviews, the agency reviews a recipient’s health and current treatments to make sure that he or she still has a disabling condition. If the government agency determines you no longer have a disability, your benefits end.
Once every three years in most situations
The continuing disability review is a legal requirement mandated by the SSA. The law declares that the government agency must conduct such a review at least once every three years. In cases in which a benefits recipient is not expected to see health improvements, the SSA must still perform the review but, instead, only once every five to seven years.
As part of the review, the SSA also will examine your income, financial resources, personal property, cash and living arrangements.
The process begins when the SSA sends via mail an information packet to the benefits recipient, requesting that he or she complete the updated disability report. The person simply fills out the packet, provides necessary documents and returns it to the SSA.
The agency also offers an online option. The online form is simple to complete and has four requirements: your Social Security number, address, phone number and current email address. In addition, you can only pursue the online route if you received the mail request from the SSA for an updated disability report.
As long as you still qualify
Understand that these reviews are necessary. Do not panic when you receive a notification from the SSA. If you continue to qualify for the benefits, you will still receive them.
