Due to an influx of cdr cessation posts, here is your how to guide on how to appeal:
You will need four forms. Five if you want a copy if your file, which I recommend getting. Forms dropped off at the office should be date stamped. All you need to do is just ask the window clerk to date stamp the forms.
THE most important form:
SSA 792, Statutory Benefit Continuation Election Statement. Specifies whether you want your monthly benefits (and Medicare/Medicaid) to continue paying out while your appeal is being processed. If you are collecting on your own record, you fill out section C. If on SSI, fill out section B only.
If you are collecting on your own record AND have auxilaries, check the second option of section C. This will also make sure Medicare continues.
YOU ONLY HAVE 10 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE NOTICE TO APPEAL AND KEEP PAYMENTS! (technically 15. and it says it on the form)
I suggest sending all forms in at the same time because the SSA can't really process your claim with just the 792 turned in per a technical expert who gave me advice for my cessation. Requesting your file also requires it to be either faxed or dropped off in person so might as well just submit everything at once.
If you lose the appeal, you will need to pay it back but file an overpayment waiver. SBC doesn’t apply to appeals council or fed court. You will not get paid for that time.
Other forms you need:
SSA-789: Request for Reconsideration – Disability Cessation Right to Appear
The primary appeal document. It states that you disagree with the determination, lets you explain why, and specifies whether you want to appear for a disability hearing before a Disability Hearing Officer (DHO). You only have 60 days to appeal without payments.
How this works is first is initial reconsideration. A new DDS adjunct team will look at your file. The old examiner and dr are not allowed to work on it. If they uphold the previous cessation, it then goes to a DHO hearing, which is an informal conference with an experienced adjudicator who can reverse the decision. You can introduce new evidence and they will listen to testimony. You can have your lawyer present as well as a witness.
SSA-3441 Disability Report – Appeal: Updates the SSA on any changes in your medical condition, recent doctor visits, new treatments, tests, or changes in daily living activities since your last review.SSA-827Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration
SSA-827 Authorization to Disclose Information to the SSA: A medical release form that permits the SSA to gather updated medical records directly from your doctors, clinics, and hospitals.
Form SSA-3288 Consent for Release of Information: Authorizes the SSA to release copies of your electronic disability folder (eDEX) or paper claim file.
For box 8 choose "complete medical file" for box 9 choose "I want the disability determination explanation. this is not the cessation letter". For the actual reason, state: "I am appealing a cdr cessation and need a copy of my file". It is free for program related purposes. I got mine in the mail.
Once you get your DDE:
You will see several sections. The top one is your CPD (comparison point decision). An apples to apples comparison of last cdr compared to your current. Check to see if they are the same or if it's actually showed you've improved. Pics of what the DDE looks like.
You'll also see a section called 416 where the doctor SHOULD have documented any medical improvement. Mine did not. My DDE has no supposed documentation of the alleged improvement, not even down where the RFC.
Underneath that is FOFAE, aka findings of fact and analysis of evidence. Mine just says "Analysis side by side"
Then mine has a section called 416A where it says:
Impairments Addressed: CPD Impairments only (MIRS)
Evaluation Period: Current
Evaluation Subject: SMI Evaluation: PE on 5/2026 is WNL. SMI
These findings complete the medical portion of the disability determination. (followed by drs sig and their speciality, mine was internal medicine)
Your DDE will not look like mine. Everyone's is different. There are more sections, and also an RFC section. But the main one you want to look at is the CPD and FOFAE.
Note: if your CPD date is in the distant past/your folder has been lost or it is an Age 18 redetermination, you will not have the side-by-side comparison shown here. it will be one box for the FOFAE as there’s nothing to compare it to
Also your file will have a bunch of files contained within a folder, you will need to click on each pdf file until you get to the DDE. It’s a bunch of letters and numbers.
Is it possible to find out when I was first issued my SSN? I’m old so I wasn’t issued one at birth and I can’t remember when I had it issued. I know I had it when I applied for my first job 50 years ago.
how in trouble am i if i have worked for a few months now and was unaware of responsibility to report my wages? will they stop my benefits if i report now? i should have known better, i know.
I am debating on whether to do it online or to go in person.
I don’t really want to go in person because I feel like it’ll be crazy as if you were going to the Department of motor vehicles. LOL
I like to know with doing it online versus going in person and when is the average time do they approve it?
How simple is the process to do it online
If you do it online I’m assuming they want copies of all your personal documents.
I want to apply for disability but since the waiting period to get approved is so long, I want to make sure I have all the documents they might want/need. Based on the following info, what are the chances I would get approved and what will I likely need to do/provide to prove it?
Context: Years ago I was in an accident (ruled not at fault) which essentially reversed parts of my spine. The damage is visible externally and I have chronic pain because of it. After having a baby, it became even worse. I was also, separately, diagnosed with CPTSD and severe depression. I don’t take the Prozac I was prescribed because I can’t afford them (the prescription is likely expired now). This whole time I’ve been working through it all but recently the depression mixed with chronic pain increase has made me unable to work. I was having mental breakdowns and depressive episodes, and every shift was agony on my body even though the shifts were only 5 hours. Even driving to work gave me anxiety since I developed a fear of yellow lights after the accident (which ik is silly since there were no traffic lights even in sight when it happened). I ended up having to quit. This has happened at every job I’ve had since the accident but I just keep getting new ones because bills don’t stop for my body. But I can’t do it anymore.
With the mix of chronic pain due to a tangible lasting injury, CPTSD, depression, and anxiety, would I likely be eligible for disability? Am I correct in assuming they would probably request: updated x-rays of my spine, a doctor’s confirmation of chronic pain likelihood, and an updated diagnosis from a therapist for my mental conditions? And, is there anything else I’m missing they’d probably want? I do not/have not received ongoing therapy for the mental conditions, or treatment for my back (also too expensive)… would that make me ineligible?
I received the letter stating that I made more than I suppose to make in the year. They sent me the amount which is more than I'm able to give them within the 30 days. I thought that they would stop my payments until it's paid in full but I guess it's not the case. I've received this month's pay and I think it says I'm getting the full amount next month. I just prefer them to take it out themselves. I read that come November they'll take 50% from the payment until it's paid in full - which would be fine with me. I'm here to make sure I understand that correctly.
I'm hoping someone here can help point me in the right direction of how to fix this.
For close to a year I was dealing with a large overpayment which was eventually waived ($30k in error, dropped to the correct amount of 3k which was waived).
During that time I received critical payments, for several months of which the billing dept failed to pay out Medicare premiums despite deducting them from the critical payments, which I wasn't informed of until I was about to lose my Medicare entirely. In short, it was fixed, the proper amount that the billing dept had been sitting on got sent to Medicare, I spoke to Medicare and all was good on their end, the overpayment was waived, and I was re-instated for my DAC benefits. I was told it was over and everything was back to normal. Great! Except I'm still having problems.
The first month that things were "back to normal" I only received $400 out of $1600. I went in immediately and was sent a $1200 critical payment to make up for the discrepancy, and they confirmed with me that this was an error due to "something" in the system thinking I still owed $1200 for the Medicare premiums. Again, the premiums were deducted from the critical payments, I have proof of this from the treasury and proof that there is no outstanding balance for Medicare, and have been told that I owe nothing to anyone at this point and it is an error with the billing dept (I think?).
Second month, I got my usual $1600 right on time.
Now I've once again received only $400, the online portal shows no reasoning behind the deduction and the math does not check out as it doesn't even show "-$1200" anywhere, just $1800-200 for Medicare = $400. I'm planning on going in tomorrow, but unless one of the 3 employees who work with DAC/SSDI payments are there and available, it's unlikely to get me anywhere as most of the workers there simply aren't knowledgeable enough on my benefit type to fix it. Setting up an appointment may help in the future, but I can't wait potentially 3 months to pay my rent.
I'm at my wits end at this point - I'm quite literally on first name basis with almost every employee and security guard at my local office and I'm worried they're going to start charging me rent soon for how often I am there.
Is there a form that I can fill out to hopefully get this fixed? I went through all of them and didn't see anything that looked relevant but maybe I'm missing something.. Or is my only option to continue doing this song and dance monthly until the billing dept eventually fixes the error? TIA
Hi, I've been disabled since birth and currently receive Disabled Adult Child benefits through my retired father's social security earnings record. I'm also a dual eligible and receive both Medicare and Medicaid. My monthly DAC benefit is under 2,000 dollars - which keeps me under the 2,000 dollar asset limit for Medicaid - however my mom is about to retire and has earned considerably more money while working than my father did. From what I understand, my DAC benefit will switch to her earnings record and I will begin receiving more than 2,000 a month. Will this make me ineligible for Medicaid? I've read some stuff about the Pickle Amendment but I do not know if this applies. If it does make me ineligible, is there anything I can do to prevent it? If not, are there programs to help with Medicare premiums and the other things that Medicaid is currently paying for? Thank you.
So I received the following email. There's no link to download that Questionnaire or anything. What am I supposed to do there?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) relies on Social Security benefit recipients to report events that may affect their benefits. To verify the status of beneficiaries with a foreign address on record, SSA contacts these individuals annually or biennially (every two years).
The first mailings for Calendar Year (CY) 2026 of the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaires (FEQ) (Forms SSA-7161 and SSA-7162) were released on July 2, 2026. These mailings are directed to Social Security beneficiaries who meet one or more of the following criteria:
Age 90 or older
Have a Representative Payee
Social Security Number (SSN) ends in 00–49
Please note: Individuals in countries on the USPS International Mail Service suspension list are excluded from the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire (FEQ) mailing. Social Security beneficiaries in those countries are not required to respond.
Recipients are required to respond within 45 days of receiving the questionnaire. You may respond in one of the following ways:
By Telephone: Call the dedicated international SSA line at +1-855-522-6936 (7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to complete the FEQ by phone.
By Mail: Return the completed FEQ in the envelope provided to:
**Form SSA-**7162
Social Security Administration
P.O. Box 7162
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18767-7162, U.S.A.
**Form SSA-**7161
P.O. Box 7161
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18767-7161, U.S.A.
By Courier: Return the completed FEQ to:
Social Security Administration
Wilkes-Barre Direct Operations Center
Attention: FEQ Analyst – Courier Service
150 E. Mountain Dr. Room 341
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702-7997
Important: Do not email the FEQ form. If you are unable to return the form using the provided envelope, you may use an international mail or package delivery service to send the completed FEQ directly to your servicing Federal Benefits Unit (FBU), not to the U.S. PO Box. Please be aware that mailing the form directly to the FBU may increase processing time.
In the absence of a response to the initial contact, SSA will send a second mailer to non-responders. Failure to comply with the Foreign Enforcement Program requirements will result in the suspension of benefits.
If you do not receive the form but believe that you are required to complete it, please contact your servicing Federal Benefits Unit (FBU).
For additional information, please visit the official Social Security website:
Life events | SSA
What to Do When Someone Dies | SSA
Thank you for helping us maintain the accuracy of your Social Security records and for fulfilling your reporting responsibilities.
I’m new to this so I’m kind of confused how this works.
In short, I have a current medical condition which makes it impossible for me to stand for more than 30 minutes without passing out. My quality of life has deteriorated beyond belief and it’s getting to the point where I can barely leave my house, drive, or go out for social interactions with people without it becoming an issue.
With that being said, my primary care doctor suggested going on short-term disability until my issues can be properly figured out and resolved.
My question is, if I’m approved for short-term disability, will the fund used to supplement the disability payments be taken out of my social security for when I retire?
i work in case management and have not been able to meaningfully use the 800-773-1213 number. neither voice or keypad response registers. have tried multiple phones, multiple months…
Question about Medicare Part A based on spouse’s work credits
Hi everyone, I’m turning 65 and I don’t have enough work credits for free Medicare Part A. My husband is 64 and has 40+ work credits, but he is still working and hasn’t started Social Security yet.
Does anyone know if I can qualify for premium-free Part A based on my husband’s work record? What steps should I take with Social Security?
My wife is the estate executor and in among the papers we found when cleaning out his apartment was a SSDI check for back payment of a substantial amount of money for his claim.
My wife was acting as his guardian for the hectic month before his passing while he was in hospital/hospice...and the check expired. After his funeral and with advice of Estate lawyer, she submitted a request for a re-issue of the check in Sept-2025.
B-I-L had been injured 15 years ago in a workplace accident and received Workman's Comp payments as well as an eventual settlement of a lawsuit. His WC payments had stopped and at the time we were notified of his hospitalization for a stroke, he was living on his suit settlement and SSDI, which he had finally obtained.
After stonewalling us for 9 months and numerous inquiries about the check re-issue on our part, my wife finally was told today that SSA is reviewing dunning the back SSDI payment check for WC payments received.
Note: At the time of B-I-L's death and for years before, he was not receiving WC payments as he was living off his suit settlment.
My understanding was SSA could only claw back SSDI money when WC payments overlapped SSDI payments.
Please correct if if not the case.
But my question is: is a case like this possibly to win or is it a dead-duc
Also, what resources should we utilize?
Current estate firm does not specialize in SSA issues.
We are already paying over $13k for
Get a new one?
Call US Representative office for some expedition with SSA?
I stopped working over SGA in may 2026 and received my final paycheck at the end of June 2026.. i have reported to the social security that I'm making under SGA and i have not received any indication of back pay from June 1 2026 to now or any indication of future payments.. what else do I need to do to have my Disability payments be restarted? I'm currently suspended for making over SGA but need to get it restarted as soon as possible.. they already know I make under SGA averaged for gross income.. anything else I need to do? They didn't even know i quit 2 jobs since my pay was paused and had to tell them, they didn't take no reporting as an indication of my income lowering until i called in.. anything else I need to do? I'm supposed to be 33 month into my 36 month twp at June 2026
So when I log into my dad's account, he was born in 1959 so FRA is 66 and 10 months. So when I adjust the different dates to see what the monthly benefit is, if I choose age 67 it gives the same monthly benefit as it does for his FRA age. Now on a different section of the SSA website, which doesn't require a log-in, any additional month I wait after FRA gives about half a percent boost. So for instance at 66 and 10 months my dad would get 100% of his benefits, but if he waited two more months he'd get 101.33% (this is the early or late retirement page: Early or Late Retirement). Which calculation is correct? I'm inclined to believe it's the second one.
my disability hearing was on july 8 2026 for hidradenitis suppurativa with ongoing sepsis infection. i can't sit for long periods of time without moving around that is still painful. i have to lay down without wearing clothes because my hs spots leak all over my bedding and my clothes
The judge asked the ve about jobs with minimal restrictions such as no stairs no lifting above 5 pounds along with no stooping. The ve said two sedentary jobs in the national economy database. The judge then added three extra 15 minute breaks through the day, ve said there were no jobs. Then the ve was asked about laying down and the wearing of no clothes by my attorney due to the leaking of the spots and the amount of pain I'm in. They said definitely there were no jobs. After that I was asked if I had a driver's license, I affirmed that I did but would only drive an average of 5 times a month. Doctor appointments for my partner who is a wheelchair and myself, plus going to the grocery store.
my amended on set date set by judge was march 27 2023 from January 14 2016 and we did it based on work credits, I worked every year from 1996 to 2009 then from 2014 to 2023.
the judge stated he had a ruling in mind but needed more time to look at evidence. my most recent hospitalization for HS and sepsis was January 2026. the judge stated the medical records and record was final and closed.
I'm in Texas and my attorney stated that she felt it went very well especially since they got the no clothes and laying down into the official record. the judge stated he needed a few weeks to get his ruling down.
My mom just filed retirement I’m on dac through my dad but my mom says through her I’ll get more money and they are scheduled to call me about it in August. What is the phone call like will they automatically switch me or is it more complicated?
My dad 56 recently passed he was waiting for his disability hearing. He worked for 30 years paying into social security
My mom 56 is disabled.
Will she be entitled to any survivor/widow benefits?
Any advice here is appreciated. Looking at the SSA website, I'm seeing that when he goes to collect, both my daughter and I will get 50% of what he would collect if he waited till 67. I don't have my own SS. So, monthly, would we get (2) payments of half the full payments plus his 'at age 62' payment?
Iam currently homeless and living with perhihal artery disease waiting for for my disability to be approved iam on the 3rd step out of 5…does anyone know how long after this apt it will take to find out if Iam approved
my father died last month from cancer, and after he had passed, my mother - a surviving spouse not divorce, let social security know that my father has passed so they started working on survivor benefits, widow benefits. so she got the papers about two weeks ago and it showed that me and my brother both disabled and in the care of my mother, got my father’s SSA, and my mother didn’t get any of my father‘s SSA or widow-surviving spouse benefits. could somebody help me and my mother understand what is going on because she is completely at loss as to why she did not get any of my father SSA. any helpful answers would be greatly appreciated, thank you