What to Do If You're Kicked Off SSI/SSDI
You’ve been receiving benefits for a couple of years, and your regular “review” came and went. They probably made you fill out that dehumanizing form about what you are and aren’t able to do (which you need to answer as if you’re talking about your worst days; you’ll probably feel like you’re exaggerating if you do it right), and maybe they made you see one of the horrible state-paid doctors that are likely to minimize your disability, trick you into hurting your own case, and lie about what you said.
You hoped it was all over, but the letter came back saying that “your health has improved” and you are no longer disabled. You want to laugh - because your health has probably only declined - and cry, and scream, and you probably have thoughts of ending it all.
Don’t lose hope. You have a good chance of getting back on it. But you need to act now.
Before you do anything else, bring the letter to your local Social Security office and request an appeal. Check the box that says you want to stay on benefits while your appeal is processed. You must do this within 10 days of when they think you received the letter (which is probably earlier than when you actually received it). If the office is open when you get the letter, go now. If not, go the next business day. You cannot afford to put this off.
Give them the names and contact information of any medical providers you have seen since you filled out the disability review paperwork. Save a copy of all the paperwork from this visit in case they claim to have lost it.
The next step is to go to your local independent living center and ask for advice on your case. They may be able to recommend doctors and lawyers to help you win.
If there isn’t one in your area, or if they can’t recommend a lawyer, look for a disability lawyer here or contact your local legal aid.
From now on, your full-time job is winning your appeal. (I know you’re on disability because you can’t actually work a full-time job; that’s why this system ends up killing so many people. I hope you have friends or family to help you through this process.)
Go to as many appointments with doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, and whatever other medical providers apply in your case, as you can handle. Make sure to save their contact information, and whenever you go to a new one, go to the Social Security office and update your paperwork with their information.
Stay in regular contact with your caseworker at the state disability determination office; their name should be printed on the denial letter you got. Ask them if they need more information. Being in contact with them might actually convince them not to “oops, mysteriously lose” your paperwork or mix you up with someone else (yes, this does actually happen).
If you’re lucky, you won’t have to go to a hearing at all, and they’ll reinstate you after a reconsideration. If you’re not so lucky, you’ll have to go through several stages of hearings. The odds are in your favor at these hearings. Don’t lose hope. They need to prove that you have medically improved enough to go back to work, which you haven’t.
Yay, you’ve been reinstated! What do you do now? Well, this has probably caused a hiccup in your Medicare. Even though you checked the box that said you wanted to continue your benefits, something probably got screwed up. If you’re on SSI, they’re probably deducting the Medicare premiums from the months you were considered “not disabled” from your checks even though SSI recipients are supposed to have their Medicare paid for. Your state SSI supplement might also be screwed up. Your Social Security office will tell you who you need to call/visit to expedite this being straightened out. Medicare may also have refused to cover doctors’ visits from the time you were considered “not disabled” and you’ll have to call or write them to appeal that.
Good luck, may everything work out in your favor, and may your next review go off without a hitch.