An Honest, Clear Voice In SSI/SSDI Care

Can my SSD benefits be suspended and why?

On Behalf of | Nov 29, 2019 | Social Security Disability

Oklahomans who believe they meet the requirements to get Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits for an illness, condition or injury might feel optimistic about their chances to be approved when making a claim. However, there are situations in which the Social Security Administration (SSA) will stop the benefits prior to a determination.

This is done when there is information that the person is not disabled, and there is no method for the SSA to determine when the disability was no longer in effect. This is a suspension. The benefits will be suspended at the time the person is no longer disabled and a determination was not completed to continue paying the benefits.

A suspension can happen if medical information or other information provided to the SSA shows that the person can perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) and the benefits should have stopped more than two months before; if the person took part in a trial work period for nine months that ended more than two months before and he or she continued to work; if the person filed for benefits at a time when improvement was expected in his or her condition and they were believed to be able to return to work and did so more than two months before without medical restrictions; or if the person cannot use a trial work period and is back working.

There are other reasons for which there can be a suspension of benefits. They include not responding to the SSA’s request to provide more evidence and the SSA believes the request was received without response or if the person cannot be located and the checks were returned to the SSA. It can be traumatic and worrisome if a person is seeking SSD benefits or was already getting SSD benefits, and there is a suspension. But, many of these circumstances are misunderstandings or clerical errors, and can be cleared up by providing the information the SSA requested. In other cases, there might be a way to get the Social Security Disability benefits to restart.

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