• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Anyone get SSD then later lose them without improvement

pine108kell

Senior Member
Messages
146
After years of tortuous paperwork, I was accepted for Social Security benefits several years ago after coming before a judge. But now they are doing a review on my benefits. It appears they are sending me through the ringer again even though my condition has not really changed. I was accepted years ago based on a functional test (no run by SS)--I have no idea how I would do on that test again even though my overall ability to work is still impossible.

Although I go to an GP that knows I am disabled, there is not anything new in my medical records because nothing ever happens. No new tests, treatments, etc. Just the same subjective fatigue, mental stuff and I don't really know how well my dr. is documenting my complaints.

I was just wondering if anyone had to go through the whole SS process again and be forced to get another judge ruling even though their condition has not changed. Thanks for any input.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
I've never heard of this happening. SS has to prove that you're able to work. Since they don't have the resources to actually do this, what this basically amounts to is that you report on the review that you're ready to go back to work, or you've actually been working and earning above the Substantial Gainful Activity amount.

SS will review your case every so often. They won't send you to testing, just have you fill out paperwork. You'll either get the short form or the long form. The short form is 5 questions, read by a computer. The long form is similar to your initial paperwork, so if you saved that, you can just recopy the same stuff over (assuming everything is still the same).

In your original approval letter, it states what review schedule you're on. A 1 year review means you're expected to improve. A 3 year review means they think you may or may not improve. A 7 year review means they don't expect you to improve.

So everyone gets reviewed whether they're expected to improve or not. If you tell them nothing has changed, and you're still disabled, all should be fine.