Fayetteville, AR Termination of Benefits Lawyer

If you are out of work and depend on Social Security Disability Insurance, you cannot afford to have your benefits terminated. Our lawyers can see if we can restore your benefits and get you back to your life.

The Social Security Administration can use several reasons to justify terminating your benefits. Sometimes, benefits are terminated automatically, like when you reach retirement age or take a job that pays too much to qualify for benefits. Whatever the reason, our team can help you fight it. You will be told why your benefits are being terminated, which is where our lawyers will focus our attack. It is common for benefits to be terminated because of an error in reassessing your medical condition. Our team can provide the evidence that shows you still qualify as having a disability and deserve your benefits.

Call us at (479) 316-0438 to speak with our termination of benefits attorneys and get your free case review.

Why Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits are Terminated in Fayetteville, AR

If you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you should be aware of the issues that could cause them to be terminated. Those who cannot work in Fayetteville depend heavily on their benefits and can ill afford to have them denied. Our termination of benefits lawyers often help our clients solve issues that keep their benefits coming in. If any of the following situations applies to you, it might be time to reach out to our team:

Your Medical Condition Improved

The most common reason benefits get terminated in Fayetteville is that your medical condition improved. The Social Security Administration (SSA) periodically conducts reviews to verify the status of their beneficiaries. If your condition has improved to the point that you no longer meet the SSA’s definition of disabled, your benefits will be terminated. However, if you feel like they were terminated unfairly, our team can help appeal the decision.

You Returned to Work

Your benefits might also be terminated if you go back to work. To get SSDI benefits, you must make below a certain amount. The SSA determines this by analyzing your “substantial gainful activity,” or SGA. Essentially, this is the amount of income you earn each month.

As of 2024, non-blind individuals cannot make more than $1,550, or their benefits will be cut off. For the blind, their SGA cannot go beyond $2,590. While these limits increase each year, they are still easy to go over. Our attorneys can help decide if returning to work would jeopardize your benefits.

You Did Not Comply with Medical Treatment

Failing to follow your doctor’s orders while treating your disability is another way to lose your benefits. It is important to follow the recommendations and treatment plans devised by your healthcare providers, so you have the medical evidence to back up your claims. If the SSA does one of its reviews and finds you have been missing appointments, it could rescind your benefits if it believes you could be working.

However, you might feel like a certain treatment or operation is unnecessary. We can arrange for you to get a second opinion so you have a proven basis for why you are declining your doctor’s orders.

You Reached Retirement Age

SSDI benefits are designed to terminate once you reach retirement age at 67. While this will end your SSDI benefits, it will not mean losing out on the money you have come to rely on. Once you reach retirement age, your SSDI benefits should be converted to Social Security benefits. Our team can help you understand how this transition will impact you and step in if there are any delays in receiving your new benefits.

You Were Incarcerated

Some people in Fayetteville lose their benefits because they are in prison. Even if you go to jail for a short amount of time, your benefits could be jeopardized. However, once you are released, you can apply to have your benefits reinstated.

Our lawyers will help you gather the documentation you need to show the SSA that you have paid your debt to society. If only a short time has passed, getting your benefits reinstated should not be as challenging. But, if you were incarcerated for a significant time, you might need to go through the application process again. Our attorneys can review your options with you in any case.

You Were Uncooperative with the SSA

It is vital to comply with any requests or address any concerns the SSA has regarding your benefits. For instance, you should not ignore the SSA if it requests a new set of medical records or an exam to confirm your disability. If you do not respond in a timely manner, the SSA will take this silence as an answer and likely terminate your benefits.

Do not wait too long before speaking with our attorneys. We can help you gather the requested information so that your benefits do not stop. In these situations, it is easier to address the SSA than to challenge their decision through an appeal.

Appealing Your Termination of Benefits in Fayetteville, AR

If your benefits are rejected, we can help appeal the termination. The good news for beneficiaries is that they will have several opportunities to have their case heard. However, you will want to work with an attorney who knows what it will take to be successful at each stage of the appeals process.

We can first request that the SSA reconsider its decision. It is possible that the termination was because of a clerical error or technological issue. Upon reconsideration, the SSA might find that your benefits were wrongly denied. Or we can provide additional documentation if that helps convince the SSA of your status. You will have 60 days to make this request after receiving your termination letter, so act fast and reach out to our attorneys.

If reconsideration does not work, we can request that your case be heard in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). This is an entirely new hearing with a judge acting as the decision maker rather than the SSA, who might not be as impartial. Here, our team can submit new evidence that was not included before. We can also call witnesses that support your claims, like your doctor or other healthcare providers. Having our experienced lawyers on your side will give you the best chance of success at this stage.

If the ALJ does not agree with our arguments, we can appeal further to the SSA Appeals Council. No new evidence is usually submitted at this time as it confines itself to reviewing the decision of the ALJ. If the council disagrees with the ALJ’s findings, it will send your case back to have it rereviewed.

The last resort is filing a lawsuit with the federal district court. However, it is rare to reach this stage.

Our Fayetteville, AR Termination of Benefits Lawyers Can Help

For a free case consultation with our termination of benefits lawyers, contact us by calling (479) 316-0438.