Individuals who frequently read the posts on this Oklahoma disability benefits blog may know that in order to qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration a person’s impairment must be expected to last for at least 12 months. This means that short-term illnesses and injuries are generally not covered by the organization’s benefits’ programs. However, even if a person’s disability is expected to endure for years or even their entire life, they should be aware that they may be required to continue to demonstrate their need for benefits.
This is because the Social Security Administration performs continuing disability reviews. A continuing disability review is intended to identify individuals who are no longer afflicted by their ailments and to stop their payments from continuing. Generally, continuing disability reviews are done every three years, but if a person’s ailment is expected to be life-long then their reviews may only happen every seven years.
Coming up on one’s continuing disability review can be stressful because if the Social Security Administration determines that an individual is no longer disabled, then they may lose the benefits on which they rely. It is therefore important that recipients of disability benefits take their continuing disability reviews seriously and prepare the best possible evidence to demonstrate their continuing conditions.
A continuing disability review can look into a person’s finances and capacity to provide income for themselves. It is thus possible for a person to lose their disability benefits even if they may still be disabled. Seeking the help of an attorney before one must complete their continuing disability review may help them avoid mistakes that could put their benefits in jeopardy.