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Once a state agency (all Social Security disability claims are sent to state disability agencies for medical determinations) disability examiner determines that an individual is medically disabled under the rules and guidelines of the Social Security disability program, they send the disability claim back to the local Social Security office. Disability examiners are not allowed to inform an individual that their claim has been medically approved for a variety of reasons; the most important reason being that the initial disability decision may be reversed by quality control units within the state disability agency or regional Social Security disability quality review units. Furthermore, an individual’s SSI disability claim may be denied for non-disability reasons, even if the individual will medically qualify for SSI disability benefits. All SSI disability claims are returned to the local Social Security for a post medical allowance interview to address non-disability issues such as income, resources, and living arrangements. What happens at this final review prior to an individual receiving their SSI benefits? A Social Security claims representative reviews the disabled individual’s income (workman’s compensation, long term or short term disability benefits, work activity, spouses income, or any other spousal income) and resources (land other than where they live, extra vehicles, cash, stocks, 401K, or other retirement accounts) in an effort to make certain the individual is still within the income an resource limit established for the SSI disability program. Income and resource limits are established for SSI disability because it is a need-based disability program (i.e. similar to Medicaid). If the individual does not have income or resources that exceed the established yearly limits, their disability claim will be allowed for SSI disability benefits. However, if the claims representative ascertains that an individual’s income or there resources exceed SSI disability program limits, their SSI disability claim will be denied. As you can see it would not be wise for a state disability examiner to inform an individual they have qualified for SSI benefits, because the decision could very well be a denial at some point after the disability examiner has found the individual medically qualifies for SSI disability. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
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