Beneficiaries with Medical Improvement Not Expected Who Died During the 5-month Disability Insurance Waiting Period

This report provides information on 610,219 Disability Insurance (DI) beneficiaries whose claims were approved at the initial claim level by various state disability determination services (DDS) during Calendar Years (CY) 2020 and 2021. In each case, disability examiners (1) determined the beneficiaries had disabling conditions that were permanent and that medical improvement was not expected, and (2) established a 7-year medical review diary. As of December 22, 2022, SSA had terminated the DI benefit payment status of only 319 (.05 percent) beneficiaries after determining they were no longer disabled. However, SSA had terminated the payment status of 75,857 beneficiaries who died after SSA approved their claims, including 4,444 beneficiaries who died during the 5-month DI waiting period.