Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides health coverage and monthly payments to people who can't work due to a disabling medical condition or impairment. If you currently receive SSDI, you know how lengthy and complex the application process is. Worse yet, the Social Security Administration denies approximately 70% of applicants in the first of its five-step evaluation.
Once approved for SSDI, you want to do everything within your power to keep the payments coming. In addition to losing your monthly benefit, getting cut from the SSDI rolls means going through the headache of applying for reinstatement.
Take a look at the following reasons the Social Security Administration could halt your SSDI checks, and if any apply to you, take steps today to rectify the situation.
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1. Your personal information has changed
The SSA serves millions of Americans daily. The sheer volume of people on the SSA rolls makes it even more important to keep the SSA apprised of any changes in your life. Here are a few issues that can throw the SSA off its game and put the brakes on your checks:
- You've recently moved, and the SSA does not have your current address.
- Your phone number has changed, and you haven't informed the SSA of the new number.
- You married, divorced, or changed your last name for another reason, but the SSA doesn't know about it.
The truth is that life gets busy, and it's easy to allow small tasks, like contacting the SSA, to fall through the cracks. Still, it's up to you to report all changes to your personal information if you want uninterrupted service.
2. You or your spouse have more money coming in from any source
It may be tempting to keep an increase in earnings on the down-low, but it's not a great idea when it comes to SSDI. Don't forget: If you're employed, your employer reports your annual income to the IRS, and if you receive investment income, it's also reported.
Whether you're earning a little extra money through work or investments, or you're married and your spouse's income has increased, failure to report the newfound income can lead to the elimination of your SSDI benefits.
3. You've changed banks or opened a new account
It's easy to overlook the need to update your banking information with the SSA, but it could affect your benefits. If you've closed an old bank account and opened a new one, any SSDI checks sent to the old account will be returned to the SSA. When that happens, the SSA doesn't know why, and its safest move is to suspend payments until the issue is resolved.
Whether you've opened a new account in your old bank or moved to a new bank or credit union, make sure the SSA knows where to find your account so payments can remain steady.
4. Your work activity has picked up
If you're working more than usual, even if you don't earn much, your eligibility for benefits can change. The SSA determines SSDI eligibility in part by looking at substantial gainful activity (SGA). In short, SGA is the monthly amount you can earn without impacting your SSDI benefits. For 2025, the monthly SGA for non-blind individuals is $1,620. For statutorily blind individuals, it's $2,700. If your income is higher than usual, let the SSA know.
5. There's been a change in the representative payee
Anyone who receives SSDI benefits but cannot manage the payments independently is provided a representative payee. The payee may be a relative, spouse, friend, institution, nonprofit agency, or other party interested in looking out for the best interest of the SSDI recipient by managing their money in a responsible way.
The SSA needs to know when a new representative payee is on the scene.
How to report changes
You can report changes online through your my Social Security account. If you haven't signed up for a my Social Security account yet, now is a good time to do so. If you'd rather, you can make changes by calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your nearest SSA office.
