If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you’ll eventually get a notice that Social Security is reviewing your case. That review is called a Continuing Disability Review (CDR). It’s routine and required by law. The goal is simple: confirm that you still meet Social Security’s definition of disability. If your medical condition and functional limits haven’t improved enough for you to work at a substantial level, your benefits generally continue.

A CDR is not a brand-new application. It simply compares your current condition to the facts Social Security relied on when you were first approved.

The Legal Basics of CDR

Congress requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to check disability cases from time to time. The timing and rules live in federal regulations and in SSA’s internal playbook called the Program Operations Manual System (POMS). Together, they spell out how often reviews happen, what evidence gets collected, and how decision makers evaluate medical improvement. If you like official sources, SSA’s brochure “How We Decide if You Still Have a Qualifying Disability” and the POMS DI 28000 series are the best places to start.

How Often Reviews Happen

When you were approved, SSA placed your case in one of three buckets based on the likelihood of medical improvement. If medical improvement is expected, you’re usually reviewed in about 6–18 months. If it’s possible, plan on a review roughly every three years. However, if improvement is not expected, the review window is more like every five to seven years.

Children have their own timing rules, and anyone who received SSI as a child will be rechecked under the adult standard at age 18.

What Can Trigger a Review Early

Most reviews follow the schedule, but a few things can prompt an unscheduled CDR. Work activity that approaches or exceeds the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level is a common trigger. Evidence that your condition has improved, or that new, effective treatment is available, can also lead to a review. And while it’s avoidable, failing to cooperate with SSA—like missing a consultative exam or not returning forms—can force the issue.

What the CDR Process Feels Like

It starts with a letter. SSA will tell you a review is underway and send forms. Some people get a short “mailer” called the SSA-455; others receive a longer packet, the SSA-454. From there, SSA gathers your updated medical records and, if needed, schedules a consultative exam. A disability examiner and a medical consultant compare your current evidence to what was on file when you were approved. If your health hasn’t improved in a way that changes your ability to work, your benefits continue. If SSA believes you’ve improved enough to work, they’ll propose stopping benefits, but you have appeal rights and strict deadlines.

How “Medical Improvement” Is Decided

SSA uses something called the Medical Improvement Review Standard (MIRS). Think of it as a before-and-after comparison. The question isn’t just whether you feel better—it’s whether the medical change relates to your ability to work. Decision makers also look at your residual functional capacity (RFC) and consider all of your conditions together, not in isolation. That includes symptoms, side effects, flare-ups, and how often you’d miss activities or need to rest.

What Happens After the Decision

If there’s no medical improvement—or improvement doesn’t change your ability to work—your benefits continue without a new application. If SSA believes you’ve improved enough to return to work, they’ll issue a cessation notice. You can appeal through reconsideration and, if needed, a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. Many people win at these stages, especially when the medical file clearly documents ongoing functional limits.

How to Prepare for a CDR (Quick, Practical Help)

• Keep treatment current and organized. Maintain regular appointments, follow doctors’ orders, and save visit summaries, test results, and medication lists.
  
  
• Respond on time. Return forms, answer calls, and attend exams. Missed deadlines can hurt your case.
  
  

Special Situations to Know About

If you’re using Ticket to Work and making timely progress, you may be protected from medical CDRs while you participate. Families should expect periodic reviews for children on SSI, and everyone who got SSI as a child will face an adult “redetermination” at age 18. Also, don’t be alarmed if you receive the short SSA-455 mailer; many cases end right there with no further action. On the other hand, it’s normal for processing times to vary—SSA publishes backlog statistics, and delays happen.

Common Misconceptions—Cleared Up

A CDR doesn’t automatically mean you’ll lose benefits. If your condition and functional limits haven’t improved enough for steady work, your benefits should continue. It’s also not a brand-new claim; SSA must compare your current state to the earlier favorable decision. Finally, limited or trial work doesn’t automatically sink your case—SSA has work-incentive rules—but you must report earnings and stay inside the limits.

When a Lawyer Makes a Difference

CDRs are evidence-driven. Attorneys help you present the right evidence, not just more of it. That can mean coordinating with your doctors so chart notes reflect real-world limits, organizing records by timeline and body system, and translating medical jargon into functional language SSA uses. If SSA proposes to stop your benefits, a lawyer can request reconsideration, prepare you for the disability hearing, examine witnesses, and keep every deadline on track.

Practical Takeaways (Do These Now)

• Create a one-page medical snapshot with providers, conditions, meds, and recent tests. Update it after every visit.
  
  
• Tell your doctors you’re on disability so they document functional limits and flare patterns, not just diagnoses.
  
  
• Open every SSA letter immediately and set phone reminders for due dates.
  
  
• Report work and major changes in your condition right away.
  
  
• Mark your expected review window from your award letter so a CDR never arrives as a surprise.
  
  
• Call an attorney early if forms are confusing or if SSA proposes to stop benefits.
  
  

Need help with a CDR?

If you’ve received a CDR packet or a notice that SSA plans to stop your benefits, Disability Attorney Services can help you prepare, respond, and appeal. Reach out for a free case review, and let’s protect the benefits you worked hard to earn.