If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you’ll periodically need to undergo a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) to determine if you still qualify for these benefits. The key to protecting your disability benefits is understanding how Continuing Disability Reviews work, preparing properly, and responding promptly to Social Security Administration requests with accurate and updated information.
If you live with family and receive free rent and help with food, the Social Security Administration (SSA) may reduce your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by around one-third of the federal benefit rate. That’s because the SSA counts free rent as unearned income, which can reduce disability benefits. Free food by itself doesn’t count as income. Understanding how living arrangements can significantly impact monthly payments is crucial for SSI beneficiaries.
A Social Security disability overpayment occurs when the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines that you’ve received more Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits than you were entitled to receive. When the SSA discovers the overpayment, it sends a notice detailing the amount overpaid. You can contest an overpayment by asking for reconsideration or a waiver. Ignoring an overpayment notice could result in a reduction in long-term disability benefits and aggressive collection methods, such as tax refund interception and wage garnishment.
You may qualify for SSDI for lupus in Chicago if you meet the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) work credit and medical eligibility requirements.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increase in SSDI benefits for 2025. The 2.5% SSDI increase took effect in January 2025. The Social Security COLA increase is designed to ensure your benefits keep pace with inflation. Understanding how the 2025 COLA affects your benefits is essential to protect your rights and ensure you receive your rightful disability payments.
A disability overpayment can hurt your future SSDI disability benefits if not handled correctly. The Social Security Administration (SSA) may reduce your monthly payments to recover overpayments. It may demand full repayment, deny tax refunds, and take legal action against you. It may also disqualify you from future SSDI benefits. The most common reasons for excess disability payments include providing inaccurate income information during application and miscalculations by the SSA. Retain a Social Security disability attorney immediately after the SSA sends you an overpayment notice. The lawyer will review the notice and help you address the issue while protecting your rights every step of the way.
The Department of Government Efficiency has implemented changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA), including office closures and staff reductions. These reforms aim to streamline operations, but have raised concerns about their impact on the approximately 74 million Americans who receive these benefits.
The chances of getting approved for disability benefits are among the first things people want to know when applying for disability. Unfortunately, chances of your application being approved at the initial stage of the Social Security Disability process aren’t high, with only about 38% of claimants having their initial applications approved. However, more than 50% of applicants who appeal the denials get approved for disability benefits during an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing. Understanding why many claims are denied and the factors that influence your odds of success can help you take the right steps to increase your chances of winning disability benefits in Chicago.
You can get disability if you are unemployed in Chicago. You’ll need to prove that your disability prevents you from working and meet other eligibility requirements. Depending on how long you’ve been out of work, unemployment could affect your eligibility for SSDI benefits, for example, by leaving you with insufficient work credits. Below, you’ll learn more about how unemployment could impact your eligibility for disability benefits and your available options.
You can apply for disability more than once. There are no limits on the number of Social Security disability applications you can file in Chicago and the rest of Illinois. However, you can only reapply for disability benefits if you don’t have another claim open for the same type of benefits. Whether you should reapply for benefits depends on several factors, such as whether your condition has significantly changed since your previous application and the stage at which your previous claim was denied.
