How to Deal with Changes in Your Social Security Disability Benefits

Sometimes, disability payments change. Here are the most common reasons your benefits might change:

• Annual cost of living adjustments. You can expect your SSI and SSDI benefits to increase slightly every year based on the economy and inflation. You'll likely get an annual letter that tells you your benefit amount for the next year.
• Improvements in your health. If your health improves and you return to work, that's great news! However, this can also cause Social Security to decrease or stop your benefits. This is because disability benefits are for when you can't work due to your health.
• Changes in your income or living situation. If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and your financial situation improves, this can affect your benefits since SSI benefits are only for low-income people. (Tip: You're probably getting SSI if your monthly payment in 2024 is $943.)
• Forgetting to fill out forms. Sometimes, you might get forms in the mail from Social Security asking for information. If you don't send these back, they might think you no longer need your benefits. Always fill out and return any forms you receive.
• Lying to Social Security or hiding information (fraud). It's important to tell Social Security the truth about your health, how much money you earn, if you’re working, and who you live with. You must also update Social Security when your health or financial situation changes. If you lie or don't tell Social Security about important changes in your life, Social Security may say you committed fraud.
• Social Security mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, even the Social Security office. They might accidentally give you too much money or not enough. If they give you too much, they'll ask for it back. This is called an overpayment. Jump to the section on dealing with overpayments.

If your benefits change, and you're not happy about this, here are some steps you can take:

1. Understand why your benefits changed. Read the letters and notices from Social Security. They will explain why your benefits changed. If you didn't get a letter, call Social Security's customer service number at 1 (800) 772-1213 right away to make sure you didn't miss something important.
2. Get legal advice. It's a good idea to talk to a legal professional about changes in your benefits. You can get free legal advice by calling Oregon's Public Benefits Hotline. You can also call a private disability attorney, but you'll need to pay for their help.
3. Appeal. If you think Social Security's decision was wrong, you may fight this decision through an appeal. An appeal is a legal term that means asking someone else to review a decision. During an appeal, Social Security's decision might change, and you could get a more favorable decision. If you want to appeal, visit the Social Security website for more information on how to start your appeal.

It's important to act quickly if you want to appeal. Although you have 60 days to file an appeal, you must file the appeal in 10 days if you want to keep your benefits during the appeals process. You also need to call Social Security and inform them that you’re still disabled and you're starting an appeal. The deadline to appeal is based on the date on the notice that told you your benefits were changing.

If Social Security made a mistake and paid you too much money, this is called an overpayment. If this happens to you, Social Security will reduce your monthly payment until you repay them. They'll send you a letter explaining why they overpaid you. You can find more information about overpayments on this Social Security page. 

If you don't think Social Security overpaid you, you can ask Social Security to reconsider their decision. Learn how to ask for reconsideration on this Social Security page. 

If you can't afford to repay the money, you have two options:  

• Ask for a waiver: This is like asking Social Security to forgive the debt. You can only request a waiver if the overpayment wasn't your fault and you can't afford repayment. Learn more about waivers on this Social Security page. 
• Pay the money back more slowly: You can also ask Social Security to lower your monthly repayment. Social Security often lets people without much money lower their payments to only $10 per month. Learn more about this option on this Social Security page.

It’s important to act quickly if you have an overpayment. Although you have 60 days to appeal, if you don’t start your appeal within the first 30 days, Social Security will start collecting the overpayment from you. They’ll do this by lowering your monthly payment.

Changes to your benefits can be scary, but understanding why they happen and knowing your options can help. Always tell Social Security about changes in your life, fill out any forms they send you, and be honest.  

Remember, you're not alone. If you feel stuck or unsure about what to do, you can get free information and advice by calling Oregon's Public Benefits Hotline. They can answer your questions and help you determine your next steps.