Each year thousands of Social Security disability beneficiaries receive a notice that their benefits will stop because there are no longer disabled. This is known as a cessation notice. This notice is never a pleasant one to receive, but understand that if you do receive a cessation notice there are important actions to take.
Social Security does not define disabilities as permanently disabling and after a few years Social Security is likely to review all the evidence available to determine if the claimant is still disabled and entitled to benefits. If Social Security makes a decision that the claimant has improved medically enough to no longer meet the agency’s disability eligibility the claimant will receive a cessation notice indicating benefits will stop because the agency has determined their disability has ended. At this point the claimant has the option to appeal this decision and can elect to continue to collect benefits during the decision process on the appeal, but if the claimant is not found disabled after the appeal process plays out Social Security can ask for all or a portion of the money received during the appeal process to be returned.
Below is an explanation about how the cessation process works and identified by the Social Security Administration.
• Medical Disability Cessation
You may write to us or complete a Form SSA-789-U4 (Request for Reconsideration Disability Cessation).
You or your representative must ask in writing for reconsideration within 60 days of the date you receive the written notice of the initial determination. We consider that you receive a notice five days after the date on the notice unless you show us evidence it was received after the five days.
Payment Continuation for non-medical initial determination and medical disability cessation determination:
• Non-Medical Initial Determination
If you ask for reconsideration in writing within 10 days of the date you receive the notice, any payment we are currently making will continue until we make our reconsideration determination if you continue to meet all other SSI eligibility requirements.
If you ask for a reconsideration more than 10 days after the date you receive the notice, but within 60 days of the date you receive the notice, your payment may decrease temporarily. However, we will restart any payment we are currently making once we receive and enter your reconsideration. You will continue to receive that payment until we make our reconsideration determination if you continue to meet all other SSI eligibility requirements.
If you do not want to continue to receive payments, you can ask us not to continue payments by completing Form SSA-263 (Waiver of Supplemental Security Income Payment Continuation).
