When a severe disability prevents you from working, monthly benefit payments from the Social Security Administration become essential. If your Social Security payment changes, do not ignore it.
There are several reasons for a reduced Social Security Disability check, including some that you can challenge through an appeal if you act quickly. This blog from Sackett and Associates, the disability benefits professionals people in Northern California and nationwide have relied upon for more than 45 years, explains the possible reasons for a Social Security payment decrease and how to appeal when you disagree.
Reasons for a Social Security payment decrease
When the Social Security Administration switched to direct deposit from paper checks, spotting a change in your benefits became more difficult. Instead of a reduced Social Security Disability check in your hand, you may not notice a change unless you look at your disability benefit statement.
Common reasons for a Social Security payment decrease or termination include:
- Working and receiving an income while receiving benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance program.
- Receiving other benefit payments.
- A medical review by the Social Security Administration.
Before taking a closer look at these common reasons for a disability check adjustment, other reasons also affect your Social Security Disability payments. For example, disability benefit payments are suspended when someone convicted of a crime is confined to jail or prison for more than 30 consecutive days. However, your incarceration does not affect benefits paid through your Social Security account to your dependent spouse or child.
Working while on Social Security Disability
You must be unable to do substantial gainful activity (SGA) to be eligible for disability benefits. SGA refers to work-related activities, such as walking, lifting, climbing stairs, and standing, that you do in exchange for compensation.
The Social Security Administration evaluates your ability to do SGA by how much you earn each month. The monthly SGA amount for someone with disabilities other than blindness in 2024 is $1,550. The SGA amount for someone who is blind is $2,590. The amounts change annually. For example, it is $2,700 for someone who is blind in 2025 and $1,620 for someone with a medical condition other than blindness.
To become eligible for SSDI benefits, you agree to notify the Social Security Administration if you return to work and disclose the amount you earn each month. You may lose your benefits if you earn the SGA amount or more, except during a trial work period.
A trial work period lets you test your ability to earn a paycheck without affecting your eligibility for SSDI. A trial period is nine months over a 60-day period during which you keep the money you earn and your SSDI benefits even if you exceed the SGA amounts. Talk to Sackett Law for more information about trial work periods.
Other benefit payments and disability check adjustment
Workers’ compensation or other state disability benefits may lower SSDI benefits that you receive. It’s not uncommon for someone who cannot work because of a disability to be eligible for workers’ compensation or temporary disability benefits through their state.
The SSDI and disability benefits from other public sources may not exceed 80% of your average pre-disability earnings. If they do, you will see a disability check adjustment reducing what you receive through SSDI to offset the other public source benefits.
SSDI Periodic Review
SSDI eligibility continues for as long as you meet the disability definition the Social Security Administration uses. Your case is subject to periodic review to determine whether there has been an improvement in your medical condition.
Reviews are scheduled based on whether there is an expectation of improvement. Where no improvement is expected, reviews are scheduled every seven years. Medical conditions with a possibility of improvement are scheduled for review every three years. A first review may be scheduled for six to 18 months in cases with a medical condition that is expected to improve.
You may appeal a reduction or termination of SSDI benefits after a medical review, but you must do so within 60 days. Let Sackett and Associates review the decision affecting your Social Security Disability benefits as soon as you receive notice to avoid losing the right to challenge it because you missed the deadline by waiting to contact us.
Get help with Social Security payment changes
If you see a change in your Social Security Disability payments, contact a disability professional at Sackett and Associates. We put four decades of experience handling disability claims for people in Northern California and throughout the country to work fighting for your disability benefits. We’re here for you from the initial application through all stages of the appeal process, so contact us today for a free consultation and claim evaluation to learn what Sackett Law can do for you.
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