SSI Redeterminations and Continuing Disability Reviews

This guide presents selected U.S. government consumer education from Social Security Administration. References to “we” or “us” in the source material refer to the issuing agency. Source dates and links appear below.

Redeterminations

What Is A Redetermination?

We review your non-medical eligibility factors (i.e., income, resources, and living arrangements) to determine whether you are still eligible for and receiving the correct SSI payment.

If you are married or you are a disabled child under age 18 living with your parent(s), we also review the income, resources, and living arrangements of your spouse or parent(s).

When Do We Conduct A Redetermination?

We redetermine eligibility and benefit amounts of most recipients once every 1 to 6 years.

When you report a change that affects eligibility or payment (for example, marriage), we may review your record for other factors of eligibility such as income, resources, and living arrangements.

How Do We Do A Redetermination?

There are three ways that we do a redetermination:

• telephone;
• in person; or
• mail.

For telephone and in-person interviews, we send a letter telling you that we will call you on a certain date and time or ask you to come into the local Social Security office for a redetermination.  Our staff will fill out the forms during the interview based on information you give them. If you have a representative payee, we will send the appointment letter to your representative payee.

If you are unable to keep the scheduled appointment, call us. We will make a new appointment that is more convenient for you.

If we do your redetermination by mail, we will send you a redetermination form for you to complete, sign, and return.

If you have a representative payee, he or she must complete and sign the redetermination form for you.

If you need help completing a redetermination form you receive in the mail, call us or visit your local Social Security office. Our staff will help you fill it out.

Responding To The Appointment Letter Or The Request To Complete Forms

You have 30 days to:

• respond to the appointment letter;
• complete and return the form; or
• tell us that you cannot keep the appointment or are having trouble filling out the form.

What Happens If You Do Not Respond To The Appointment Letter Or Complete And Return The Form?

If you do not respond, you may:

• have your payments stopped;
• be overpaid; or
• be underpaid.

If you lose SSI eligibility, you may lose Medicaid eligibility based on getting SSI.

Documents You May Need For Redetermination

• pay stubs or income tax returns;
• proof of other income you receive (pensions, annuities, unemployment compensation, worker's compensation, etc.);
• savings account, checking account, or other bank statements;
• life insurance policies;
• burial contracts;
• Proof of other resources (savings bonds, vehicles, property, trusts, etc.); and
• household receipts and bills to show your monthly expenses (lease, utilities, etc.).

Continuing Disability Reviews

What Is A Continuing Disability Review?

Social Security periodically reviews your medical impairment(s) to determine if you continue to have a disabling condition.  If we determine that you are no longer disabled or blind, your benefits will stop.

We call this review a Continuing Disability Review (CDR).  The law requires us to perform a medical CDR at least once every three years, however, if you have a medical condition that is not expected to improve, we will still review your case, once every five to seven years.  We will reach out to you to obtain updated information about your condition using the SSA-454 (Continuing Disability Review Report) or SSA-455 (Disability Update Report) form. Those who receive the SSA-455 now have the option to complete the Disability Update Report (SSA-455) form online.

How Do We Conduct Continuing Disability Reviews For A Child?

For a child, SSA initiates a CDR at least once every 3 years if we expect the child’s medical condition may improve.  We may also initiate a CDR if we do not expect the child’s condition to improve.

If we decided the child was disabled based on low birth weight, we will generally initiate a CDR by age 1. However, if we initially decide that medical improvement in the child’s medical condition(s) is unlikely to occur by age 1, we will schedule the child’s CDR after age 1

During the CDR, we may ask the child’s representative payee to provide evidence that the child is, and has been, continuing treatment that is medically necessary and appropriate for his or her medical condition. 

If the child's representative payee refuses to provide the necessary evidence without good cause, we may look for another representative payee. We may also decide to pay the child directly, if he or she is old enough to receive his or her own benefits.

What Happens To My Childhood Disability At Age 18?

If you are eligible for disability benefits as a child, 2 months prior to attaining age 18, we will review your case.  During this review, we will determine if your current medical condition(s) meets the disability requirements as an adult.  When we initiate the medical redetermination, we will use the adult criteria to determine if you are eligible for disability benefits. We use the same criteria for adults who file new SSI applications.

Sources and publication details

• Redeterminations — Social Security Administration; source date: 2026 edition.
• Continuing Disability Reviews — Social Security Administration; source date: 2026 edition.

The federal agency source text is U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic selected, adapted, and formatted it for this guide. No agency endorsement is implied. Follow the linked sources for current program details and the rules applicable to your circumstances.