How Often Does Social Security Do Case Reviews?

Barring a significant change in their medical or financial situations, most people who qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI) continue to receive these benefits for life. But because some people get better enough to return to full-time work or no longer meet the legal requirements to receive payments, the Social Security Administration (SSA) periodically reviews the cases of everybody who receives SSDI or SSI to decide whether they're still eligible for disability benefits.

The process by which Social Security determines whether your benefits will keep going or end is called a "continuing disability review," or CDR. CDRs generally occur in intervals of between three and seven years, depending on factors such as your age and how likely your condition is to improve to the point that you can go back to work. (Certain events can also "trigger" a CDR ahead of schedule.) Case reviews are a normal part of getting Social Security benefits, and knowing when yours will happen can help you ensure that your payments aren't terminated.

What Determines How Often My Social Security Case Is Reviewed?

Some medical conditions improve with regular treatment, while others stay the same or get worse. Social Security will review your case more often if the agency thinks that your condition is "expected" to improve, occasionally if it's "possible" that it will improve, and infrequently if it's "not expected" to improve. Based on these categories, Social Security will establish a review schedule for your case called a "diary." This diary will contain the dates of your next CDR.

Medical Improvement Expected

Cases that Social Security has designated "medical improvement expected (MIE)" have a high probability that the disabled person will recover enough to be able to return to work. MIE cases tend to involve conditions that require intensive treatment for a year or more, but the treatment is often very successful. (Certain cancers and organ transplants fall in this category.) If your case is classified as MIE, you'll be reviewed more frequently than every three years. You can expect your first review 6 to 18 months after you begin receiving benefits.

Medical Improvement Possible

If your case has been labeled as "medical improvement possible (MIP)," Social Security isn't sure if you'll ever be able to return to work, but it doesn't want to rule out the possibility. Common conditions such as back injuries and mental health disorders often fall in this category, because you might undergo surgery or start a new medication that improves your health significantly. MIP cases are scheduled for review every three years.

Medical Improvement Not Expected

Cases categorized as "medical improvement not expected (MINE)" involve conditions that are permanent, irreversible, and don't have any currently known treatments. Disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome are a few examples that would fall under the MINE classification. If your case is classified as MINE, your reviews will occur every five or seven years.

Reviewers who work for Social Security are instructed to use "sound adjudicative judgment" when deciding whether medical improvement is expected, possible, or unlikely. Recipients in their twenties and thirties often have more reviews, simply because they have more time to improve before retirement age. But each individual case is different, and health can be hard to predict.

Can Social Security Change the Frequency of My CDR Schedule?

Social Security can increase or decrease the frequency of your case reviews based on new medical evidence. If you were previously scheduled under the "medical improvement expected" diary, but your previous CDRs showed that your condition was stable or worsening, your case might be reclassified as "medical improvement possible," and you'll have fewer reviews in the future.

Does Social Security Stop Doing Disability Reviews After Age 50?

Diaries do end ("mature") eventually, so after a certain age you won't have any more case reviews. In most instances, if you're over 55 years old, your case won't be reviewed even if it's designated MIE. But if your case indicates that recovery from your condition is almost certain—such as bone fractures, dislocations, or sprains—your diary won't mature until you're almost 60.

If your case is classified as MIP, you'll likely stop being scheduled for case reviews after age 52, with some exceptions for cancers in remission or bone fractures.

What Triggers a Continuing Disability Review?

Evidence of medical improvement is the main factor contributing to a triggered CDR. Over time, developments in medicine may arise that can reduce or eliminate your functional limitations. Or, you may have struggled with managing your health issues in the past, but following a period of extensive trial-and-error, you've found the proper balance of medications that control your symptoms enough for you to return to work.

Going back to work regularly can also trigger a case review. Because part of Social Security's definition of disability includes being unable to earn at or above the level of substantial gainful activity, if you start making $1,620 per month or more (for 2025), the agency may schedule a review to see if you're still disabled.

Are There Continuing Disability Reviews for SSDI and SSI?

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) are the two disability benefit programs offered by Social Security. Both SSI and SSDI recipients are scheduled for continuing disability reviews, but because SSI is a needs-based program with income and asset limits, Social Security also periodically reviews the financial resources of SSI beneficiaries to see if they're still within the allowable limits—in what the agency calls a "redetermination."

Redeterminations are in addition to, but separate from, CDRs. People who receive SSI will undergo both. While CDRs are only concerned with your medical records, redeterminations involve a review of your income, resources, and living arrangements. If you only receive SSI and the agency finds that you're outside the allowable financial limits, your benefits will stop even if you pass your CDR.

Redeterminations are conducted every one to six years. Your SSI claim will also be redetermined if something changes that could affect your eligibility—for example, you get married. To learn more about financial eligibility for SSI, see our section on SSI financial requirements.

How the CDR Process Works

When your case is up for review, Social Security will mail you one of two forms to complete—Form SSA-455, Disability Update Report, or Form SSA-454-BK, Continuing Disability Review Report. Form SSA-455, the shorter of the two forms, is sent to beneficiaries who the agency thinks are unlikely to improve enough to return to work. Most disability recipients receive the short form, and the review usually ends after they send it back to Social Security. (For more information, see our article on the CDR process and how long it takes.)

Beneficiaries who Social Security thinks have a higher chance of medical improvement receive the longer SSA-454-BK (the "full CDR"). Fortunately, passing a CDR is usually a lot easier than getting disability benefits in the first place, and the majority of recipients don't lose benefits after a CDR. You can find out more in our article on your chances of keeping your benefits after a CDR.

Do I Need to Get a Lawyer When Social Security Reviews My Case?

It's unlikely you'll need a lawyer before a CDR, but not impossible. As long as you're still unable to work full-time at any job—and have the medical records to back up your ongoing disability—you're probably not going to lose your benefits during a review or redetermination. But if Social Security terminates your SSDI or SSI payments following a case review, you may want to consider asking an experienced attorney to help you prepare your appeal.