How often will Social Security review my disability claim?

You can collect Social Security disability benefits for as long as you are unable to work due to illness or injury. However, once your condition has improved to the point that work is possible, you are supposed to inform the Social Security Administration (SSA) and return to work. To ensure that people are not taking advantage of the system, the SSA will periodically review cases to confirm that recipients continue to be disabled. How often that review occurs depends on the possibility of your medical improvement.

Frequency of SSDI Case Reviews

The SSA is an understaffed and overworked organization. Therefore, they will only review your case as often as necessary. If you are permanently disabled, you do not have to worry about intrusive annual reviews. However, if your injury or illness is not expected to be permanent, your case will be reviewed more frequently. In general, the SSA reviews cases according to the following schedule:

• If medical improvement is expected, your case will be reviewed within six to 18 months after your benefits start.
• If your improvement is considered possible, your case will not be reviewed sooner than three years after the start of benefits.
• Even if your disability is permanent and no improvement is expected, your case will still be reviewed, but no sooner than seven years after benefits start.

This schedule is not set in stone, and your case may be reviewed more or less frequently. If the SSA finds out that you have been working or they have monitored your behavior and found evidence that you are not disabled, you could be reviewed, and you could lose your benefits.

Your SSDI Attorney at Keller & Keller Can Help

If you have received a Disability Update Report or a Continuing Disability Review Report from the SSA and have questions about continuing your SSDI benefits, contact the disability attorneys at Keller & Keller. We may be able to help you avoid losing your disability benefits. Contact our Indianapolis Social Security attorney team through the link on this page or call our Indianapolis office today.