COVID-19 & Continuing Disability Reviews
How the Coronavirus Affects Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) in Michigan
When you’re receiving Social Security Disability benefits, the government will occasionally check to see if your health problems remain severe enough that you still can’t work.
It’s called a continuing disability review (CDR).
Like many things, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changed how the Social Security Administration (SSA) handles CDRs:
- Social Security put all CDRs on hold soon after the disease began spreading in the United States.
- Several months in the pandemic, Social Security began conducting the reviews again.
So if your disability benefits are up for review, you need to be ready for this process.
And you need to protect your right to disability benefits if you remain unable to work because of bad health.
An experienced Social Security Disability lawyer like those at Levine Benjamin Law Firm could help you.
It’s hard to keep up with constantly changing procedures, like we’ve seen in the COVID-19 pandemic.
But one thing hasn’t changed: Levine Benjamin disability attorneys continue fighting for people to get the disability income they need, just like we have for the last 57 years.
In Toledo, Traverse City and across Michigan and Ohio: From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
What Would You Like To Do?
What Happens in a Social Security Disability Continuing Disability Review (CDR)
These are basic facts to know about CDRs:
-
- They happen every three to seven years.
- The type of medical impairment you have and prospects for recovery may determine if your review happens sooner or later.
- Some clearly long-term serious health problems might mean you can go longer than seven years without a review.
- If you’re over 50, you may have reviews less frequently.
- In the review process, you’ll fill out forms updating Social Security on your impairments.
- If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the review also involves checking up on your income, financial resources and living situation.
- Children who receive SSI will have reviews at least once every three years.
Generally, the continuing disability review process will be easier than when you first applied for Social Security Disability.
Most people pass these checks.
If you have a question about your disability review, you can check with our disability law firm.
We’ll provide an initial consultation for free.
How Else Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Social Security Disability Benefits?
Besides the pause in continuing disability reviews, the coronavirus spread has caused other changes in the Social Security Disability process:
- Cases of COVID may themselves be new grounds for disability claims.
- Initial applications are typically done by phone and computer, instead of going to a Social Security office.
- Disability hearings with administrative law judges happen by phone instead of in person. Some hearings may take place by video conference.
If you have other questions about how the pandemic has impacted the way Social Security Disability functions, our disability law firm collected answers to more COVID questions on this page.
Applying, appealing or defending your disability review, even in unusual circumstances, our lawyers know how to present the information you need to Social Security—so you get the right result for you.
