What Happens When You Don't Report Changes To The SSA?

When you are receiving Social Security benefits, it is your job to report any changes that occur in your life that are relevant to your SSDI benefits. If you do not report these changes, you might face penalties. Therefore, it's a good idea to speak with a Social Security disability attorney about any changes that you should report.

Meeting the Reporting Requirements

If you are overpaid by the SSA, you will need to report that you were overpaid in a timely manner. If you fail to do so, this can lead to you needing to pay the SSA back. You might be overpaid if there is a change in your income. For example, you might decide to go back to work and may now be considered gainfully employed. If you fail to report the changes that have occurred in your life, you might be dropped from your SSDI benefits and might also be forced to pay penalties. 

Avoiding Penalties 

If the SSA chooses to not drop you from the program, they might still choose to sanction your payments. For example, you might lose six months of SSDI benefits as punishment for failing to report relevant information to the SSA.

Reporting Important Changes

Fortunately, once you are aware of the changes you are required to report, you will be able to report them very easily. For example, you can report changes to your status online or by making a phone call.

Correcting Mistakes Made by the SSA

In some cases, the SSA might accuse you of having failed to update them on important and relevant information when this isn't the case. They might believe that a change occurred that did not actually occur. Or, you might have updated them on the information that was somehow lost. If this is the case, you'll want to speak with your Social Security Disability attorney about how to avoid losing your benefits. 

Filing an Appeal

When you disagree with a decision made by the SSA, you have the option to file an appeal. The appeal must be in writing and you must submit it within a specific time frame. If you fail to do so, you might be forced to face the penalties that the SSA has decided to apply. An attorney can help you increase your odds of successfully filing an appeal. Therefore, you will need to act quickly so that you can protect your right to receive disability benefits.

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