Having your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits suspended can be a nightmare for most beneficiaries. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) takes every decision after only great deliberation, which is why benefits are usually not suspended without reason.
Some common reasons why your SSDI benefits may be suspended are: if you return to work and are found to be engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), if you reach retirement age, or if you are a child beneficiary your benefits end as soon as you turn 18, filing fraudulent claims, going to jail, or if your condition improves.
There are many other reasons why SSDI benefits may end, and we will discuss them in greater detail in the article below.
SSDI vs. SSI: Comparing Social Security Programs
The Social Security Administration manages two disability programs, SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The two types of disability benefits have different rules about when and why your payments will stop. Now that we know the different benefits/ programs available, let’s compare them.
Eligibility for SSDI is contingent upon having paid sufficient Social Security taxes into the system (either FICA or self-employment taxes). No matter the disability, you can’t get Social Security Disability Insurance benefits if you don’t have enough “work credits,” which are earned through employment.
However, SSI is a program that prioritizes those with the lowest incomes. To qualify for Supplemental Security Income, neither past employment nor payment of Social Security taxes is required. However, there are limits on your income and assets that the Social Security Administration imposes in order to qualify for SSI.
Reasons Why SSDI Benefits Could Be Suspended
Following are some common reasons why your SSDI benefits could be suspended.
Returning to Work
Although it is uncommon for an SSDI recipient to go back to work, if they begin volunteering for more than a predetermined amount of hours each week or make more than the SGA limit, their SSDI benefits could be terminated without prior warning.
The Social Security Administration established the following income thresholds for SGA in 2023:
- $1,470 per month for recipients who are not blind.
- $2,460 per month for recipients who are blind
The answer to why the SSA suspended your benefits could also lie in the fact that the SSA has concluded that you are engaged in sufficient SGA to make a living without disability payments since you are working a considerable number of hours each week, whether or not you are paid for those hours.
The Social Security Administration gives beneficiaries the opportunity to try working while still receiving their benefits by allowing them to participate in a trial work period.
During a nine-month trial work period, a person receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can return to work without having their benefits terminated, regardless of how much money they earn from it.
If you are working and earning more than the SGA maximum for your status at the conclusion of your trial work period, the Social Security Administration will consider that you are no longer disabled and will terminate your benefits.
However, if you are eligible for an extended term of eligibility, it is possible that it will not end immediately.
Improvement in Condition
One other possible reason why your SSDI benefits could be suspended is that your medical condition has improved. Social Security benefits can be terminated even if you haven’t returned to work if your doctor says your condition has “possible” improvement. The Social Security Administration will only pay benefits for as long as they determine you are disabled.
If your health has improved to the degree that you are no longer disabled, a claims examiner will let you know at the time of your Continuing Disability Review (CDR). A review of your benefits could occur sooner than expected if certain conditions are met, such as:
- You’ve returned to work.
- Evidence from your records or other sources suggests that your medical condition has improved.
- They may be new treatments for your condition.
If you believe the Social Security Administration has wrongly terminated your benefits, you can challenge these claims through a Social Security Disability lawyer.
Reaching Pensionable Age
Another reason why the SSA might suspend your disability benefits is if you reach pensionable or Full Retirement Age, which varies based on your birth year.
The Social Security Administration will automatically convert your monthly installments from SSDI to retirement if you approach full retirement age while receiving SSDI. The sum of money that you receive in pension matches the sum that you receive in SSDI.
A Child with a Disability Turns 18
Children who are receiving benefits because of a medical disability must have their eligibility reviewed once they reach the age of 18.
Once a child turns 18, the case is reevaluated using adult disability standards to determine if they should continue receiving disability benefits. While the case is being considered, the child will continue to receive their SSDI benefits like normal.
If a child is a full-time student and receiving benefits because a parent is entitled to them, these benefits will end at age 18 or 19. However, the child may be allowed to continue receiving benefits if he or she has a qualifying disability and is getting benefits via their parent’s eligibility.
Going to Jail
When a person goes to jail, their SSDI benefits are suspended either temporarily or permanently (based on the nature of the crime they committed). The beneficiary will be allowed to resume their benefits once they are released.
However, if they have committed a crime that is of the following nature, then they may lose their eligibility for SSDI benefits:
- Treason
- Terrorism
- Violating one’s parole
The beneficiary must present documentation of the release in order to reapply for Social Security disability benefits, and they may also need to show that they are still eligible for the benefits they are seeking.
Fraudulent Claims
Any attempt at fraud will automatically lead to the termination of SSI or SSDI benefits. According to the SSA guidelines, the following actions constitute fraud:
- Using a stolen Social Security number to apply for a government benefit
- Delivering false testimony or misrepresenting the facts
- Understatement of earnings
- Not disclosing your self-employed status
- Falsifying information to receive benefits
These are only some of the most common types of fraud that could result in Social Security cutting off your payments.
Conclusion
It can be daunting to find out that your SSDI benefits have been terminated. If you believe that this is due to an error, and none of the reasons above apply to your situation, then it is advised to consult an SSDI lawyer or advocate right away to challenge the termination of your benefits.
