Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance is already a stressful time in your life. You are dealing with a disability, one that might even be new to you, and you are still trying to figure out how to navigate life. You may have heard about disability back pay. Do you get back pay after you qualify for SSDI? If you do, how much back pay will you receive? At Tabak Law, we can help guide you through the intricacies of SSDI back pay, how it works, and what you can expect.
What is SSDI back pay?
The Social Security Administration can be slow, and the process of applying for SSDI can be frustrating with denials, medical holds, and more that all delay your benefits. However, the Social Security Administration is relatively fair once you receive approval for SSDI and they will give you back pay for the SSDI benefits you should have received. There are a few things to keep in mind when calculating how far back that back pay goes.
How much SSDI back pay will you get?
The SSA looks at several things when determining back pay for SSDI. There are a few numbers you are going to want to be aware of. In most cases, you do not receive benefits during your initial five-month waiting period. Additionally, the SSA can decide that your benefits accrue from your initial claim date or even as far back as twelve months prior. Regardless, the highest your back pay can be is 12-months of benefits.
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In other words, if you were approved for benefits 8 months after applying, that would be 3 months of back pay unless the SSA decides to push your onset date. If they pushed it to the maximum of 12 months, then you would still only receive 12 months of back pay as that is the maximum.
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When will SSDI back pay be paid?
If you know you are going to be owed back pay, then you may find it useful to know when that back pay will arrive. Unfortunately, even a skilled SSDI attorney can’t provide you with a sure answer. The Social Security Administration has been known to provide back pay sometimes months after an applicant has been approved and in rare cases, it’s been known to arrive in applicant’s bank accounts before they were even notified of their approval status at all. You will get it in one lump sum, but when is anyone’s guess.
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