Disability Benefits Ended: Expedited Reinstatement

In some cases, when dealing with the Social Security Administration disability benefits, you may find that your disability benefits have ended or have been suspended.  There are several possible reasons for this to have occurred – one common reason is that you worked at a part-time job or had some form of reportable income that pushed you over the maximum allowable monthly income amount.  If this takes place, you can file for an expedited reinstatement of your disability benefits.  How does the expedited reinstatement process work?  Will you have to fill out another new application with the SSA for disability benefits?  Following the correct steps will help you avoid pitfalls to your expedited reinstatement claim.

The Expedited Reinstatement Process

An expedited reinstatement claim does not have to be filed as a new Social Security disability claim, and you do not have to go back through the whole process you completed to receive your disability benefits in the first place:

• If you have had your disability benefits terminated or suspended, you have a period of up to five years to file for an expedited reinstatement without having to file a new claim with the Social Security office. 
• You will need to provide any and all current medical information regarding your illness or disability so that the claim can be processed properly and quickly.

Reviewing Your Claim

Once you have filed a claim for expedited reinstatement of disability benefits, your file, including your updated medical information, will be sent to the state examiner, as it was when you filed your original disability claim.  You can continue to receive what are called provisional payments for a period of up to six months while the state examiner reviews your claim and conducts any necessary medical history investigations or consultative examinations.  The state examiner is attempting to determine whether or not you have what is called a continuing disability, meaning one which has continued to impact your ability to work and which still enables you to receive disability benefits.

Your provisional benefit payments will cease if the state disability examiner determines at any time during the six month provisional review period that you do not have a continuing disability.  In addition, if the state examiner’s review process takes longer than six months to complete, you will still be faced with the cessation of provisional payments at the end of the six month period even if a decision regarding your continuing disability has not been reached.

Getting Help

To maximize the chances of your claim for expedited reinstatement being successful, contact an experienced disability attorney. Your attorney can assist you in gathering the evidence you need and in interfacing with the SSA throughout the claims process.