The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) timeline depends on each person. Many people on SSDI will receive benefits until they reach retirement age. However, that’s not the case for everyone.
What Age Are You When Social Security Disability Stops?
Social Security Disability can stay active for as long as you’re disabled. If you receive benefits until age 65, your SSDI benefits will stop, and your retirement benefits will begin. In other words, your SSDI benefits change to Social Security retirement benefits.
Sometimes, SSDI benefits will stop before age 65. If you begin earning more income or don’t continue documenting your condition, you might stop receiving benefits.
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How Can You Keep Social Security Disability Until Retirement?
If your disability continues until age 65, you will keep getting SSDI benefits until they change to retirement benefits. However, there are things you must do to keep your benefits active.
Disability Status
Be sure that you’re seeing your doctor regularly. You’ll need to continue documenting how your condition prevents you from working. Without thorough documentation, the SSA might question your disability status during Continuing Disability Reviews.
When you get a notice about a Continuing Disability Review, respond as soon as possible. You could lose your benefits if you don’t respond. If you need help with a review, contact an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer.
Work Status
Also, let the SSA know if your work situation changes. Tell the SSA if you are returning to work after receiving benefits. You will need to report if:
- You start or stop working.
- Your work pay, tasks, or hours have changed.
- You begin paying for disability-related expenses that you need for work.
You can report any changes to your condition or work by mail, phone, fax, or in person. You can also communicate a difference through your Social Security online account.
If you return to work while on SSDI, you might be able to receive benefits for a specified period. If you make over $910, the SSA considers it a trial work month. You can keep receiving benefits until you’ve had nine total trial work months within 60 months.
Why Does Social Security Disability End?
The most common reasons that SSDI ends include:
- You return to work.
- Your disabling condition improves.
- You serve jail or prison time.
If any of these things happen, the SSA could stop your benefits. It will depend on the details of what changes and when. When your benefits go under review also matters. The SSA will discontinue your benefits if they determine you are no longer disabled.
You could get a review every 18 months, three years, or seven years. If your doctor expects your condition to get better, the SSA will review your case more often than others on SSDI.
If you are in jail for over 30 days, the SSA will stop your SSDI benefits. However, you might be able to restart your benefits after you get out of jail.
Going Back to Work on SSDI
After being on SSDI for a certain amount of time, you might decide to continue working. If you start earning substantial wages, the SSDI might not consider you disabled anymore. After a trial work period, your benefits will probably stop.
If you go back to work, you can still receive retirement benefits after you reach age 65. If you return to work but find that you cannot continue working, you can continue receiving SSDI benefits.
Do SSDI Benefits Always Convert to Retirement Benefits at Age 65?
If you were born before 1937, your SSDI benefits would change to retirement benefits at age 65. However, younger people will have to wait longer. When your benefits convert depends on your birth year.
Here is when SSDI benefits switch to retirement benefits based on birth years:
- Born in 1938: 65 years and two months
- Born in 1939: 65 years and four months
- Born in 1940: 65 years and six months
- Born in 1941: 65 years and eight months
- Born in 1942: 65 years and 10 months
- Born 1943 through 1954: 66 years
- Born in 1955: 66 years and two months
- Born in 1956: 66 years and four months
- Born in 1957: 66 years and six months
- Born in 1958: 66 years and eight months
- Born in 1959: 66 years and 10 months
- Born 1960 or later: 67 years
Unlike SSDI, your income does not limit your Social Security retirement benefits. The SSDI rules will no longer count for your retirement benefits.
What About Childhood Disability Benefits?
Some children can receive disability benefits. If you received these benefits as a kid, the SSA would review your case two months before you turn 18.
The review will see if your medical condition qualifies for adult disability benefits. If you are eligible, you can receive SSDI as an adult for as long as you’re disabled.
Talk to a Social Security Disability Lawyer for Free Today
Many people struggle to get the disability benefits they deserve. Thankfully, help is available. At John Foy & Associates, we have been assisting SSDI applicants for over 20 years.
Our lawyers know what the SSA is looking for to approve an application. We also know how to help you with any benefits-related problems. Contact us today, and we’ll discuss the details during a FREE consultation.
To get your FREE consultation, call (404) 400-4000 or contact us online today.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form