Yes, SSDI can stop after a non-medical review when eligibility rules are broken or you don’t respond.
Non-medical reviews look at rules beyond diagnosis: work activity, earnings, work credits, identity, lawful presence, incarceration, and paperwork compliance. If a review finds you no longer meet these rules, benefits can end. This guide shows what triggers action, what letters mean, and how to fix problems fast.
Denied After An SSDI Non-Medical Review: Common Triggers
A non-medical review checks factors that sit outside your medical records. Common triggers include a wage match that shows new earnings, a return to work after a break, changes in legal status, or missing forms. Results fall into three buckets: no change, suspension while SSA seeks details, or termination with appeal rights.
| Issue | What SSA Checks | Possible Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Work And Earnings | Monthly pay against SGA limits, trial work months used, subsidies, and IRWEs | No change, suspension for review, or termination |
| Work Credits At Claim | Enough recent covered work for insured status | Technical denial or closed period |
| Identity And Number | Correct SSN, name, and records | Hold until verified |
| Residency/Presence | US residency rules and lawful presence | Suspension until proof |
| Incarceration | Jail/prison dates | Suspension during confinement |
| Non-Response | Missed forms, calls, or interviews | Denial or termination after due process |
| Overpayment | Amount owed and cause | Recovery, offset, or waiver review |
Why A Work Review Might Stop Checks
Work reviews measure earnings against the “substantial gainful activity” bar and track use of work incentives. If countable pay is above the set amount after the grace period, benefits can end. Subsidies and approved expenses tied to disability can lower countable pay, so the raw paycheck is not the final figure.
Trial Work Period And The Grace Rule
After entitlement, nine trial work months let you test a job. During those months, payment continues no matter how high wages go. After that, the first month above the SGA line starts a three-month safety net: the first month above, the next month, and the month after. Past that point, any month above SGA can be unpaid.
Extended Period Of Eligibility
For 36 months after the trial months end, checks restart for any month you fall below SGA and pause for months you exceed it. If you later lose the job or your pay drops, you can get paid again without filing a new claim during this window.
Work Above SGA Outside The Safety Nets
When earnings stay above SGA after the safety nets, SSA can terminate disability status. You will get a notice with appeal rights and may request payment to continue during appeal in limited cases.
What A Technical Denial Looks Like
A technical denial happens when a claim fails a rule that is not about medical evidence. Common examples include filing after insured status expired, not enough work credits in the look-back, no valid SSN match, or filing while receiving a conflicting benefit. Field offices make these findings without sending your file to a medical examiner.
Insured Status And Work Credits
Title II disability relies on work in covered jobs. You need enough credits and recent work tied to your date last insured. If the insured period ended before your disability began, the claim can be denied on that ground alone.
Non-Response Or Missed Deadlines
If you miss a form, skip an interview, or ignore a request for proof, the office can deny or stop payment. Respond on time and keep copies. If a deadline passed for good cause, tell the office and ask them to accept a late reply.
How To Read The Letter And Fix The Problem
SSA letters show the reason, the rule applied, what they used as evidence, and what you can send. Look for these sections: “What We Decided,” “Why We Decided,” “What You Can Do,” and “If You Disagree.” Match your response to the exact rule in the letter. If work is the issue, send paystubs, subsidy letters, and receipts for impairment-related work expenses. If identity is the issue, send the requested proof. If you missed a deadline, give a written good-cause statement.
Documents That Lower Countable Earnings
- Employer letter describing extra help or a subsidy.
- Proof of impairment-related expenses you pay to work.
- Time sheets showing reduced output or quality due to a condition.
- Written duties showing special conditions or fewer duties.
Appeal Fast And Keep Payment When Allowed
If you disagree, file an appeal by the deadline on the notice. Start with reconsideration, move to an administrative law judge hearing, then to the Appeals Council, and then federal court. For some work review terminations, you may ask to keep checks during appeal if you file within the short window stated in the notice.
Use the online appeal portal to file forms and upload evidence. Track deadlines and keep proof of each upload or mailing. If you want a representative, you may appoint one, and fees are controlled by SSA approval.
Practical Ways To Prevent A Non-Medical Termination
Report Work Early
Report new jobs and hours when they start. Send paystubs each month until the office says to stop. Early reports prevent large overpayments and speed up subsidy and IRWE reviews.
Document Help And Costs
Keep a simple file: subsidy letter, time sheets, receipts for transport, attendant care, or devices used only for work. Label each with the month and keep digital copies.
Answer Every Letter
Open mail from SSA right away. If you cannot meet a deadline, contact the office and ask for a new date. Turn in what you have and write a short note about anything missing.
When A Denial After A Non-Medical Review Is Wrong
Mistakes happen: wages posted to the wrong person, earnings treated as countable when they should be lowered for subsidy or IRWE, or the grace rule missed in error. If the math or rule use looks off, appeal and cite the correct rule in plain language. Attach the proof that fixes the math.
Good-Cause Late Appeals
If you missed the appeal window for reasons like hospital stays, homelessness, or language barriers, ask for late filing to be accepted for good cause. Give dates, names, and copies that back up your story.
What To Expect During The Appeal Stages
Reconsideration is a new look by a different unit. If that upholds the prior result, you can ask for a hearing with a judge who will take testimony and review new evidence. If the judge denies, you may seek review by the Appeals Council. If that fails, federal court review is the last step.
Payment During Appeal
In work review terminations, you may ask to continue receiving checks while the reconsideration or hearing is pending, if you act within the short window set out in the notice. If you lose, those paid amounts can be charged as an overpayment, but you can request a waiver if paying back would be against equity and good conscience.
Earnings Rules You Should Know
Two numbers tend to shape results: the trial work month amount and the SGA dollar line. If wages meet the trial month figure, you use up one of the nine trial months. If countable earnings reach the SGA line after your grace period, you are considered working at a level that can stop checks. Official pages publish the current dollar amounts and blind/non-blind levels.
| Rule | What It Means | Where It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Trial Work Month | Any month with wages at or above the set trial amount counts toward the nine | Post-entitlement work testing |
| Three-Month Grace | First month above SGA plus two more months stay paid | Right after trial months end |
| Extended Period Of Eligibility | 36-month window where pay flips on/off with SGA level | After the grace months |
| Subsidy/IRWE | Reduces countable earnings to reflect extra help and expenses | Any work review |
| Expedited Reinstatement | Fast restart if checks ended for work and you stopped working within five years | Post-termination safety net |
Quick Checklist Before You Reply To SSA
- Read the notice and circle the rule they used.
- List what proof they said is missing.
- Send paystubs, subsidy proof, and IRWE receipts.
- Ask your employer to confirm special conditions.
- File the appeal online before the deadline.
- Ask about checks continuing during appeal if the notice allows it.
Helpful Official Pages
You can check the current SGA dollar line on the Social Security page for Substantial Gainful Activity, and you can start an appeal on the SSA page titled Appeal A Decision We Made.