Given your current health state, you may find yourself desperate for some relief in the form of financial aid. In turn, you may reach out to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Out of sheer fear, you may be tempted to exaggerate the seriousness of your claimed disability, or otherwise withhold critical pieces of information regarding your condition. While we understand that you want to guarantee your approval for SSDI benefits, we discourage you from taking this approach to do so. With that being said, please read on to discover why you should not withhold the truth from the SSA and how a seasoned New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you get your benefits fairly.
What if I withhold the truth from the SSA for SSDI benefits?
The SSA may investigate your case and conclude that you exaggerated or withheld the truth from your SSDI benefits application. If so, the consequence may be more extensive than a simple rejection. That is, the SSA may go as far as accusing you of committing Social Security fraud and taking you to criminal court. If you receive a guilty verdict, you may receive a prison sentence of anywhere between a few months to 10 years. Plus, you may be charged with fines as pricy as $250,000.
In addition, the SSA may pursue a civil lawsuit against you. This is if they had already approved you for benefits, and you had collected monthly payments without ever being eligible. And so, if you are found at fault, the civil court may order you to repay the benefits you unlawfully received. Subsequently, with the reputational damage that comes with this incident, the SSA may be unwilling to offer you future benefits, even if you do truly need them at some point.
When do I need to update the SSA on my health condition?
You may have offered nothing less than the truth within your original SSDI benefits application. While you may have undoubtedly qualified for benefits upon your initial filing, your condition may have changed since. With that, you must not wait around until the SSA requests an update. Rather, you must be proactive in disclosing this change first. That said, to ensure your continued eligibility, you must inform the SSA if your condition has improved to the point where you might be able to work.
The same goes if you experience a substantial change in your work activity, such as if you have recently increased your work hours and subsequently your take-home pay, to the point that you may fall above the substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold. Not only is this necessary to share with the SSA, but by doing so, they may encourage you to enroll in the Trial Work Period to receive full SSDI benefits while testing your ability to handle work again.
The first step toward preparing yourself for this legal action is to retain the services of a competent New Jersey SSDI attorney. Look no further than The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur.
