Whether you’re already receiving disability benefits or are looking to apply for the first time, it’s important to know what life updates are (or will be) considered critical to report to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The process of securing benefits is complex and relies on many factors beyond your disability, including your social support system, work history, and educational background. When any relevant changes happen in your life, the SSA reserves the right to reassess your benefits. Today we will provide a quick overview of developments and giving instructions on when to report.
Medical Developments
The process of applying for benefits can be lengthy and gathering medical evidence can be difficult without the assistance of a Social Security Lawyer in Oakland. With how carefully the SSA considers symptoms when calculating your eligibility for benefits, it should come as no surprise that changes to your condition are highly important to report. Whether your condition changes for the better or worse, it is required that you notify the SSA. You should also report any visit you make to a hospital including the dates of an extended stay.
Resources and Housing
Any time that you gain or lose the financial support of another person, that change must be reported to the SSA. This includes a marriage, the acquisition of a new roommate, or any other adjustments to your finances. The addition of a spouse’s income (or unfortunate loss of this support) will likely affect the amount you are eligible to receive. Moving residences or gaining/losing a roommate can result in changes to your overall housing costs, so these details are important to present.
Travel, Immigration, and Incarceration
Traveling outside of the country for a full calendar month (or 30-plus days) warrants a notification to the SSA. In some cases, this will result in a temporary adjustment.
Your legal status as an immigrant to the United States can also affect your benefits. Individuals who experience a change to their citizenship status must report this update.
Entering or leaving incarceration can impact your benefits. If you are admitted to (or released from) prison, jail, or any other kind of detention center, the SSA must be notified.
How Much Time Do I Have to Report Changes to the SSA?
The sooner you report your change, the better. You should wait no longer than 10 days following the end of the month that the event occurred in. For example, if your situation changed on April 1, the absolute latest you can report a change is May 10; if your situation changed on April 30, the latest you can report a change is still May 10.
Contact Our Social Security Lawyers in Oakland
As you experience life changes over time, it’s important to be forthcoming and transparent with the SSA. Our dedicated and compassionate team realizes that winning Social Security benefits is a significant undertaking for anyone living with a disability. We offer free case evaluations for all of our prospective clients. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.
