Report Changes

If your situation changes, your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits may change. That’s why you need to report changes in your situation immediately. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will also check every year or two to see if your situation has changed.

Note: If you do not report changes, you might have to pay back the SSI benefits you get to Social Security.

Changes in Your Situation and Your SSI Benefits

How much you get in SSI benefits depends on your:

• Earned income
• Unearned income
• Resources, and
• Living arrangements.

If any of these things change, even slightly, you must report the change twice:

• To your local County Department of Job and Family Services (CDJFS) office within 10 days of when the change happens.
• To Social Security at the start of the month after the change. You can report:
  • In person, by phone, or by fax during the first 10 days of the next month.
  • Using the SSI Telephone Reporting System, the SSI reporting app, or My Social Security during the first 6 days of the next month.

Tip: Some people report their earned income every month, even when the amount doesn’t change. You can sign up to get a reminder text or email each month, so that you won't forget to report.

When Social Security Checks to See if Your Situation Has Changed

Occasionally, Social Security does two different types of review of your situation to make sure you still qualify for SSI benefits and that you’re getting the right benefits amount:

• A redetermination means Social Security will look at your income, resources, marital status, and living arrangements. A redetermination can be done in person, by phone, or by mail. You may need to provide documentation of your situation. Social Security may do a redetermination every 1-6 years.
  • During a redetermination, Social Security does not ask about your medical condition.
• A medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR) means Social Security will look at your medical condition to make sure you still have a disability. You may need to provide medical records or other information. Social Security may do a medical CDR every 1.5-7 years.
  • If you have been getting SSDI benefits for two years or more, Social Security will not do a medical CDR just because you work.
  • For as long as you are either a client of the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) or are actively working with an Employment Network (EN) and making timely progress in the Ticket to Work Program, Social Security will not do a medical CDR.

Respond right away and do everything Social Security needs you to do, otherwise your SSI payments could be stopped. If you have trouble filling out a form or getting documentation, ask for help at your local Social Security office.

Overpayments

If Social Security decides that they paid you more in benefits than they should have, they’ll send you a letter telling you that they’ve made an overpayment and explaining how much money you must pay back.

Deal with an overpayment notice right away. The overpayment letter will ask for the money to be returned within 30 days, but Social Security is willing to work out a reasonable monthly payment plan with you. Contact Social Security immediately to talk about your options.

A common reason people get overpayments is that they didn’t report changes in their earnings, unearned income, living situation, or marital status. You could also be overpaid if you keep getting SSI benefits after your resources go over the SSI resource limit or when you don’t have a disability anymore. If you do not report changes, then the overpayment is your fault and you’ll have to pay the money back.

If you think an overpayment wasn’t your fault and you can’t pay it back because you need the money to pay for living expenses, you can ask for a waiver of the overpayment. If the waiver is granted, you won’t have to repay the overpayment. To get the waiver form, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY) and ask for form SSA-632.