When it comes time for Indiana residents to have their Social Security Disability benefits reviewed, it can be a worrisome time as they think about what will happen if they are not renewed. The prospect of losing benefits can leave the person as apprehensive as they were during the initial application process. Losing the benefits can create a host of problems. While being concerned is understandable, it is wise to be aware of the renewal process, when disability reviews will take place and why the benefits might stop. As with any aspect of SSD cases, it is important to have experienced guidance to try and achieve a positive outcome.
Disability reviews and how potential medical improvement factors in
People who remain disabled will continue to get SSD benefits. The case will be reassessed on a periodic basis so the Social Security Administration can analyze whether medical improvement is sufficient to terminate the benefits. Toward that end, disability reviews will be conducted. The person’s illness, injury or condition will be a critical factor in when the reviews will happen. It is based on the prospect for medical improvement. There are three categories: expected improvement; possible improvement; and improvement not expected.
If improvement is expected, the SSA will review the case between six and 18 months after the previous decision. If improvement is possible, then it will happen every three years. If it is not expected, then the review will take place within approximately seven years. For a person who is a quadriplegic and needs assistance for just about everything in life, then their condition is not expected to improve and the reviews are less frequent. For someone who has a back injury that could get better with rest and treatment, the reviews will happen sooner, depending on its severity and the prognosis.
Help may be needed with a disability review
Since many cases fall somewhere in between improvement being expected and not expected at all, most people would be well-served to expect the review every third year. With that will inevitably come concerns that the benefits could be stopped. Despite that, the same fundamentals are in place for disability application renewals as there were when the initial application was made and the benefits were approved. Providing the necessary information, evidence and showing that the disability is still in place can help with continuing to receive benefits. For these and other SSD-related issues, having assistance can be imperative and discussing the case with qualified advocates can help.