HOW DOES A WORSENING MEDICAL CONDITION EFFECT SSDI BENEFITS?

Social Security pays benefits only for total disability. Since they provide no benefit for partial disability, your benefit will not increase if your condition gets worse. Once you start getting disability benefits, you are getting all there is.

However, an improving medical condition can terminate benefits. About every 2 to 3 years Social Security will conduct a "Continuing Disability Review" (CDR) to recheck your medical evidence and determine whether you still meet their rules for disability. If there has been "significant medical improvement," they can terminate benefits for persons who are under full retirement age.

Also, disability benefits do not increase when you reach full retirement age. They simply convert to retirement benefits in the same amount.

The truth is, when a claimant is given disability benefits, he/she is actually receiving their retirement benefit, only early. Thus, at age 66 or 67 (full retirement age), benefits continue but do not increase, except for an annual cost of living (COLA) adjustment to compensate for inflation.

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The Forsythe Firm, Huntsville: Social Security disability attorneys -- helping the disabled get their rightful benefits. (256) 799-0297