03/28/2013 // Wright Disability Firm // Wright & Wright // (press release)
Because a number of eligible Social Security Disability applicants are given approval long after they have filed, the Social Security Administration often awards backpay or past due benefits in these cases.
There are some cases where retroactive benefits may also be paid to SSDI applicants. These are payments provided for the time period prior to one’s filing for disability. Social Security may award these payments to eligible applicants for up to one year prior to their date of filing the claim for Disability Insurance Benefits.
The amount of backpay that approved SSDI applicants can expect to receive depends on factors such as how much SSA Tax was withheld during their employment, the date of their application, and the date they became disabled. However, please be aware that for SSDI cases there is a mandatory waiting period that all eligible claimants must go through before benefits are paid. A five-month waiting period is applied to the cases of claimants after they are approved; meaning five months of benefits are withheld before their payments begin. Backpay is provided in a lump sum. Social Security will make the determination about how much backpay is warranted in each case, and there are no additional steps applicants have to take to receive backpay.
For Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims the process is a little less confusing since eligibility only starts at the date the application was filed. Therefore, in most SSI cases the backpay is calculated from filing date to when the claim is approved and there is no five-month waiting period.
The advocates of Wright & Wright, America’s Social Security Disability Firm? are available to help those who have questions about their eligibility for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income. We can provide you with a free case evaluation or consultation to discuss your filing options.
Wright & Wright advocates can help applicants at any stage of the filing process, including appealing a claim that has already been denied. Contact our advocates today for more information about how we may be able to assist you.
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