Social Security Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration approved your disability claim and you received the decision letter indicating the amount of your payments and the start date for receiving them. Now it is time to understand your rights and responsibilities as you receive disability benefits from Social Security. Keeping your records up-to-date is important, and if you do not report changes or if you give the Social Security Administration false information or withhold information, you can be penalized.
Your benefits will be re-evaluated periodically and if the SSA deems you are no longer disabled, your benefits will be terminated. If you disagree with the decision you can appeal. The Social Security Disability lawyers of Terry, Terry, and Stapleton have the experience and knowledge to help you with your appeals process or to help you if you believe you were unfairly sanctioned. We represent clients throughout Tennessee, including Rogersville, Newport, Morristown, Knoxville, Kingsport, Johnson City, Jefferson City and Greeneville. Call us today at 1-800-518-3779 for help with your Social Security disability claim.
Updated Information
Keeping the Social Security Administration apprised of any information that could affect your payments is critical. While you may receive your payments through direct deposit, it is important to ensure administration officials have correct contact information for you. You must supply any information to the SSA if it changes:
- Change in address or contact information, change in marital status and any changed information for family members that also receive benefits through your disability.
- Change in the number of people who live with you, ensuring you report if someone moves into or out of your home, someone who lives with you dies, or if you or someone who lives with you has a baby.
- If you have income other than your SSI, you must report the amount of all other sources, as well as reporting if the income increases, decreases, or stops altogether. The same must be reported for any other family members living with you.
- If you enter or leave a residential institution, hospital, skilled nursing facility, nursing home, intermediate care facility, halfway house, jail, prison, public emergency shelter or any other kind of institution, you must report this to the Social Security office. You usually cannot get SSI while in a public institution.
- If you have any outstanding warrants for your arrest this must be reported. You cannot receive disability benefits for any months in which there is an outstanding arrest warrant for a crime that is a felony.
- If your condition improves and you get SSI because of a disability you must report this to the SSA. If you are no longer disabled, your SSI will stop after a short adjustment period.
Medical Condition Review
If you are receiving benefits because you are disabled, the Social Security office will periodically review your case and reassess your disability status. You will continue receiving your benefits unless the review finds strong proof that your condition has improved medically enough that you are able to return to work. The decision letter you were sent when you received your initial approval will indicate when you can expect your first review.
Types and frequencies of review include:
- Medical improvement expected. If your condition was expected to improve within a specific time period, then your first review will be between six and 18 months after you receive your first SSI payment.
- Improvement possible. If it is possible that your medical condition will improve, your case will be reviewed approximately every three years.
- Improvement not expected. If your medical condition is deemed unlikely to improve, your case will be reviewed only about once every five to seven years.
Prior to conducting a review you will receive a letter from the SSA, and a representative from the local Social Security office will contact you to explain the review process and your appeal rights. At this point you should provide any updated information that you had not previously supplied.
A review is similar to the initial assessment of your disability with the same decision process being followed. When a decision is made, you will be sent a decision letter. If the examiners determine that you still are disabled, your SSI will continue uninterrupted.
If you are found to be no longer disabled and you disagree with that conclusion, you can file an appeal. The appeals process is the same as the initial appeal.
Contact Terry, Terry, and Stapleton for Social Security Benefits Support
If you feel that your denial is incorrect and you want to file an appeal, contact the Tennessee Social Security Disability attorneys of Terry, Terry, and Stapleton at 1-800-518-3779 or via our online form.
At Terry, Terry, and Stapleton, we handle Social Security Disability cases from the initial application stage through administrative hearings and federal court. We will properly prepare your application and the medical evidence of your disability. Whether your case falls under SSDI or SSD, our Social Security attorneys can help you get the disability benefits you deserve.
