Federal disability benefits are only available to those with significant, long-term medical issues that impede their ability to work or live independently. There are strict standards imposed on those seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) generally only awards SSDI benefits to those who have truly debilitating medical issues and cannot work at all. Additionally, the qualifying medical condition needs to last at least a year, if not longer, for the worker to qualify for SSDI benefits.
Sometimes, people who have qualifying medical challenges may eventually recover enough to begin working again. There is an expectation that SSDI recipients should notify the SSA when their circumstances change and they may be capable of returning to work. Additionally, the SSA may conduct a review to determine if a recipient still qualifies.
What is a Continuing Disability Review?
The SSA may look carefully at an SSDI recipient’s condition to determine that they are still eligible for benefits. A Continuing Disability Review (CDR) is essentially an assessment of an individual’s medical status.
Professionals at the SSA look at recent medical records to determine if a beneficiary’s condition has improved. People undergoing treatment, for example, may find that they regain lost function and could eventually become capable of working again.
The CDR process involves an assessment of an individual’s medical condition, current financial resources and living arrangements to determine if they are still eligible for benefits. Even in circumstances where SSDI recipients cannot return to their prior careers, if they regain the ability to maintain any sort of gainful employment, they could become ineligible for SSDI benefits.
How often do CDRs occur?
Federal regulations require regular CDRs for those receiving SSDI benefits. The SSA typically reviews every recipient’s condition and qualifications every three years to comply with the law.
However, there are cases where it is clear that the party receiving SSDI benefits cannot improve due to the nature of their condition. Even when the prognosis for an individual offers little to no hope of a recovery, the SSA may still conduct a CDR roughly every five to seven years.
Those applying for SSDI benefits or trying to retain their benefits may need guidance while handling paperwork and official communications. Partnering with a legal professional can make a major difference for those who cannot work and who need to apply for or maintain their SSDI benefits.