If you receive SSDI benefits and we find that you no longer meet the requirements for disability due either to work at the SGA level or medical improvement, we say that your disability “ceased”. If we find that your disability ceased due to work at the SGA level, our decision is effective in the month shown by the evidence. If we find that your disability ceased due to medical improvement, our decision is effective in the month shown by the evidence, or the month we give you written notice, if later. In either case, we pay SSDI benefits for the cessation month and the following two months. We call these three months the “grace period”.
If you are working and have substantial earnings, you may have the option to request that we voluntarily suspend your cash benefits to avoid being overpaid while we review your earnings. Please contact us by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local office to learn more about requesting voluntary suspension of your benefits. Also, for more information see the Ticket to Work blog post at https://choosework.ssa.gov/blog/2019-05-02-voluntarily-suspending-your-ssdi-benefits-while-working online.
Your SSDI benefits may continue if one of these statements are true:
- We stop your disability benefit due to your work at the SGA level and then your earnings fall below SGA within the Extended Period of Eligibility.
- We ceased your disability due to medical improvement and you are participating in a program of vocational rehabilitation or similar services.
If you receive SSI benefits and we find that you no longer meet the requirements for disability due to medical improvement, we say that your disability “ceased”. Our decision is effective with the month shown by the evidence, or the month we give you written notice, if later. However, your SSI eligibility continues for that month and the following two months if you meet all the non-disability-related requirements including the income and resources tests. We call these three months the “grace period”.
You are not eligible for an SSI payment for any months you do not meet the non-disability eligibility requirements, for example, the income or resources tests.