Will my SSDI and survivor benefits stop immediately if my cancer goes into remission?

congrats on the good news with your treatment! i had a similiar situation with kidney disease that improved. SSA doesn't automatically stop anything there's a whole review process. they'll send notice about a continuing disability review at some point

When your medical condition improves, SSA doesn't immediately terminate benefits. They conduct what's called a Continuing Disability Review (CDR) to determine if your medical improvement is related to your ability to work. The process includes: 1. Medical review of your current condition 2. Assessment of your ability to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) 3. Determination if the improvement affects your ability to work You'll receive advance notice of this review. In many cases, SSA also provides a 9-month Trial Work Period (TWP) where you can test your ability to work while still receiving full benefits. This is followed by a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility. Since your benefit situation involves both SSDI and survivors benefits, the reviews might occur separately since they're governed by different program rules.

I think you're getting SSDI confused with SSI. Disability doesn't just automatically stop. My sister had breast cancer and went through something similar. They do these things called medical reviews where they check if you're still disabled. Worst case, you can always appeal if they try to cut you off too soon.

To clarify about your survivor benefits specifically - those are separate from your disability benefits. If you're receiving survivor benefits as a disabled widow/widower, your medical improvement could affect those too. However, if you're receiving them because you're caring for a child of the deceased worker under 16, or if you're over the minimum age requirement (which varies), they may continue regardless of medical improvement. For the SSDI, as others mentioned, there's a structured review process. What's most important is keeping all your medical documentation organized. SSA will want to see the full progression of your treatment and your doctor's assessment of your ongoing limitations, even in remission. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss your specific situation once you have a clearer picture of your medical outlook. Unfortunately, getting through on the phone can be extremely frustrating.

my aunt went thru cancer similar to yours and got better thank god. she kept getting her checks for almost a year after she was in remission before they even contacted her for a review! dont worry too much about it yet, focus on healing

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!! I was on disability for back problems for 3 years, then had ONE GOOD DAY at my review appointment and they cut me off completely!!! FIGHT THEM with appeals and get a lawyer!! They'll try to say you're fine when you're NOT! Even in "remission" cancer causes long term problems they IGNORE!!

also forgot to mention u should look into the ticket to work program if u decide to go back to work later. its designed to help ppl transition off benefits without losing everything at once

when they do the review they'll look at whether ur still meeting the listing requirements for cancer. my moms friend had leukemia and even tho she was in remission they continued her benefits for like 2 yrs because of the after effects of chemo and stuff

I'm really happy to hear your treatment is going so well! That's wonderful news. Just wanted to add something that might be helpful - make sure you keep detailed records of all your medical appointments, test results, and any ongoing symptoms or side effects you experience, even as you improve. This documentation will be crucial if/when SSA does their review. Also, don't hesitate to ask your oncologist and other doctors to be thorough in their notes about any lingering effects from treatment. Even if you go into remission, things like fatigue, cognitive issues from chemo, or other treatment-related complications can still impact your ability to work. The more complete medical picture you have documented, the better prepared you'll be for any future reviews. Wishing you continued success with your treatment!

First off, congratulations on your positive response to treatment - that's incredible news! I wanted to share some insight from my experience working with disability cases. One thing that's often overlooked is that SSA's medical improvement reviews aren't just about whether your cancer is in remission, but about your residual functional capacity (RFC). Even if you achieve remission, you may still have significant limitations from treatment effects like peripheral neuropathy, reduced stamina, cognitive impacts, or immune system compromise that could support continued disability status. The key is having your medical team document these ongoing impairments thoroughly. For your survivor benefits specifically - if you're receiving them as a disabled widow/widower, they're tied to your disability status. But if you qualify based on age (50+ with disability, or 60+ without), the medical improvement may not affect those benefits the same way. I'd also suggest requesting a copy of your complete SSA file now while things are stable, so you have baseline documentation of what they approved you for originally. This can be helpful context during any future reviews. Keep focusing on your health - the bureaucratic stuff will sort itself out with proper documentation and advance planning!

Rami, I'm so glad to hear your treatment is going well! That's truly amazing news. I wanted to add a perspective from someone who went through a similar situation with a different condition. When my autoimmune disease went into remission about 3 years ago, I was terrified about losing my benefits too. What I learned is that SSA really does follow a structured process - they don't just cut you off the moment your medical records show improvement. The Continuing Disability Review process typically takes several months, and they look at the whole picture, not just whether your primary condition is "cured." One thing that really helped me was being proactive about communication with SSA. I actually sent them updates about my treatment progress myself, rather than waiting for them to find out through routine reviews. This showed I wasn't trying to hide anything and gave me more control over the narrative. Also, don't underestimate the long-term effects of cancer treatment. Even if you achieve remission, chemo and other treatments can leave lasting impacts on your energy, immune system, and cognitive function that may still qualify as disabling conditions. Make sure all of these are well-documented. You've got time to plan and prepare - focus on getting healthy first, but it's smart that you're thinking ahead!

Rami, this is such wonderful news about your treatment response! I'm really happy for you. I wanted to share something that might ease your concerns a bit - I work as a benefits counselor and see cases like yours fairly regularly. The key thing to understand is that SSA distinguishes between "medical improvement" and "medical improvement related to ability to work." Even if your cancer goes into remission, they have to prove that this improvement means you can now perform substantial gainful activity. For cancer cases specifically, they recognize that treatments often leave lasting effects that can continue to be disabling. Also, there's something called "medical improvement review standard" which means they compare your current condition to what it was when you were first approved. Since you were just approved recently with stage 4 lymphoma, they'd need to show significant improvement from that baseline. One practical tip: start keeping a symptom diary now. Document fatigue levels, cognitive issues, physical limitations, etc. This creates a record of your ongoing functional limitations that goes beyond just whether the cancer is detectable. Many of my clients find this incredibly helpful during reviews. You're right to plan ahead, but try not to stress too much about it right now. Focus on your recovery - you've got time and options!

Rami, first off, congratulations on your amazing response to treatment! That's incredible news and you should definitely celebrate that progress. I wanted to add something from my own experience - I'm a cancer survivor (colon cancer, now 5 years in remission) and went through the SSDI review process about 2 years after my treatment ended. What surprised me was how thorough SSA was in considering not just whether my cancer was gone, but how the entire experience had affected my overall health and work capacity. Even though I was cancer-free, I was still dealing with significant neuropathy in my hands and feet from chemo, chronic fatigue that was way beyond normal tiredness, and some cognitive issues that my oncologist called "chemo brain." All of these were documented and considered during my review. I actually continued receiving benefits for another 18 months while I gradually transitioned back to part-time work through the Trial Work Period program others mentioned. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to be completely honest with all your doctors about every symptom you're experiencing, no matter how minor it seems. Things like difficulty concentrating, getting winded easily, or needing more sleep than before are all legitimate ongoing effects of cancer treatment that can impact your ability to work. You're asking all the right questions and planning ahead, which puts you in a good position. Focus on healing first - the rest will follow!

Rami, what fantastic news about your treatment progress! As someone who's navigated the SSA system, I wanted to share a few key points that might help ease your concerns: The good news is that SSA has specific protocols for cancer cases that recognize the complexity of treatment and recovery. They use something called the "Blue Book" listings, and for lymphoma specifically, they understand that even successful treatment can leave lasting functional limitations. A few important things to keep in mind: - Your recent approval means SSA already has your baseline documented as stage 4 lymphoma, so any review will compare against that severe starting point - Remission doesn't equal full functional recovery - treatment effects like fatigue, neuropathy, immune suppression, and cognitive changes are all legitimate ongoing impairments - The review process typically takes 6-12 months from start to finish, giving you time to prepare For your survivor benefits, those have different rules depending on whether you qualified as a disabled widow/widower or based on age criteria. It's worth clarifying which category you fall under since the medical review may affect them differently. My advice: start documenting everything now - energy levels, concentration issues, physical limitations, medication side effects. This creates a paper trail of your functional capacity that goes beyond just cancer markers. And definitely keep celebrating this amazing treatment response - you deserve to focus on healing first!

Congratulations on your incredible response to treatment! That's such wonderful and hopeful news. I can absolutely understand your anxiety about what happens to your benefits if you continue to improve - it's natural to worry about financial security while you're focused on healing. From what I understand, SSA has specific review processes in place precisely because they recognize that medical improvement doesn't automatically equal the ability to return to full work capacity. Cancer treatment, especially for something as serious as stage 4 lymphoma, often leaves lasting effects that can continue to impact your functional abilities even after achieving remission. The fact that you were just recently approved means SSA has your severe baseline condition well documented. Any future review would need to show significant improvement from that starting point, and they'd have to demonstrate that any improvement actually translates to your ability to perform substantial gainful activity. I'd suggest starting to document all your ongoing symptoms and limitations now - things like fatigue levels, cognitive effects, physical stamina, etc. Even as you improve, these treatment-related effects can be significant and relevant to any future disability determination. Most importantly though, focus on your recovery first. You're dealing with something incredibly challenging and the fact that you're responding so well to treatment is cause for celebration. The administrative side can be managed when the time comes, and you'll have advance notice and options if/when any review happens. Sending you best wishes for continued progress with your treatment!