How Can Benefits Continue?

During our review of your eligibility at age 18 (referred to as an age-18 redetermination), we may find that you are no longer medically disabled. If that happens, there are two options that can continue your benefit payments:

1. You may receive Statutory Benefit Continuation (SBC) if you appeal the determination; or
2. You may receive payment under our Section 301 Payment Continuation rules, if you began participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation or similar, prior to the medical determination.

NOTE: You can participate in a VR or similar program prior to and during the medical determination and appeal the determination. While your appeal is pending, you can receive SBC. However, we will not make a decision on Section 301 unless your appeal decision confirms you are no longer medically disabled.

What Must I Do To Get Statutory Benefit Continuation?

To receive SBC, you must:

1. Appeal the medical cessation determination within 10 days of receipt of the medical cessation notice, and
2. Tell us you would like to continue to receive benefit payments while you appeal.

When we decide if you will continue to qualify for SSI, we will send you a notice to let you know about our decision. The notice will explain your right to appeal our decision — that is, ask us to look at your case again. If you want to appeal the decision, you must send a written appeal to us within 60 days from the date you receive your notice. If you appeal the decision within 10 days of receiving the notice, you can also choose to ask us to continue to provide SSI payments during the appeal process; we call this Statutory Benefit Continuation. Keep in mind that if the decision on your appeal is unfavorable- that is, even after your appeal we still decide that you are not disabled, you may have to pay back any money you weren’t eligible to get during the appeal process.

What Must I Do To Get Section 301 Payments?

To receive Section 301 Payments you must:

1. Already be participating in a vocational rehabilitation or similar program BEFORE we determine that your disability ended (that is, before our first decision during your age-18 redetermination); and
2. Tell us that you are participating in a VR or similar program when your age-18 redetermination begins (when you tell us, we will start the eligibility process); and
3. Actively participate in the VR or similar program.

When we say "similar program," we mean:

• Attending school under an individualized education program (IEP), or
• Taking part in formal programs that offer career exploration, job search support, job coaching, and similar services.

Your SSI benefits could continue until you finish school or complete the program. Go to the “What Should I Do Now” section below for more tips on what you can do to qualify for Section 301. Section 301 benefits can also continue if you change to a new program within 90 days. For example, if your IEP ends and you sign a written plan with VR within 90 days, Section 301 benefits can continue.

What’s the Difference between SBC and Section 301?

You may qualify for either one if we decide you are no longer medically disabled, however:

1. You may qualify for SBC if:
   
   
   1. You appeal the medical cessation; and
   2. You request payment continuation within 10 days of receipt of the notice.
   SBC payments stop when the appeal process ends. You must request SBC at each level of appeal.


2. You may qualify for Section 301 if:
   
   
   1. You started participating BEFORE the month your disability ends (that is, the month we first determine you are not eligible); and
   2. You are currently participating in an appropriate program of VR or similar services; and
   3. We review your participation in the program and decide that if you continue in the program, you are not likely to resume disability benefits.
   Section 301 payments stop when you complete the program, stop participating in the program or, if we decide your continued participation will no longer result in you coming off of disability benefits.

For more information about the age-18 redetermination process visit our webpage Understanding Supplemental Security Income Continuing Disability Reviews or copy https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-cdrs-ussi.htm to the address bar.

For more information on our appeals process and how payments can continue during an appeal read our publication Your Right To Question The Decision We Made On Your Claim (Publication No. 05-10058) or copy www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10058.pdf to the address bar.

For more information on our payment continuation policies, go to our Youth Toolkit and read our publication Qualifying for Benefit Continuation After You Turn 18 (Publication No. 64-118) or copy https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-64-118.pdf to the address bar.

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