How Do You Apply For Ssdi
You can apply for disability benefits just as you would apply for any other form of Social Security. Applications may be submitted through the Social Security office in your area, online at the SSAs website or over the phone with an intake worker. In-person applications are possible, but it’s recommended that applicants schedule an appointment in advance to ensure availability of a worker.
Once your application paperwork is in, you will have to provide evidence of your eligibility with identity and medical documents. These may be submitted along with your application. The documents will be reviewed and a decision made about your benefits in one to three months.
How Can You Speed Up The Social Security Disability Process
Several ways exist to qualify for a faster decision:
- TERI: If the applicant has a terminal disease or condition. You dont need to report that you have a terminal disease, although you can. The SSA can determine this from your medical reports. A field officer can identify a condition as terminal during an interview or the condition can be brought to the attention of the SSA by anyone helping you with your claim.
- Quick Disability Determination : Allows you to file your initial claim electronically. The SSA uses a predictive model that helps it analyze this claim to see if it warrants fast-tracking. You must be suffering from a serious condition and have medical evidence to prove it. If a claim meets the requirements, it will receive a faster decision.
- Compassionate Allowances : Helps Social Security evaluate claims more quickly based on certain conditions. The SSA receives information from the public and a variety of different groups to determine what conditions qualify for a CAL. If your application meets the requirements, it will receive a faster decision.
Inside The Social Security Disability Claim Review Approval Process
Getting your SSD benefits claim approved by the SSA is a lengthy process full of questions: What goes on behind the scenes during the Social Security disability claims approval process? How many people handle one application? How does the agency investigate a persons work history and confirm his or her medical condition? These are common questions many who are thinking about applying for SSD benefits ask themselves and their attorneys. Most people dont have an inside look at the claims approval process and may not realize a lot of work goes into examining each application.
The SSA has revised its disability approval process numerous times to make it more efficient and user-friendly to ensure all eligible applicants receive their needed payments. Understanding the internal process can help applicants gain a better picture of the SSD application timeline. Here are the basics of the process:
1. Application Handed Over to the State Disability Agency and a Disability Examiner
According to Tim Moore, a former disability examiner for the SSA, the first step in the long claims approval process is to send your Social Security disability benefits application to a state disability agency, which is also called Disability Determination Services .
2. Examiner Contacts Medical Personnel and Past Employers
3. Specialist May Ask You to Complete Daily Living Questionnaire
4. Examiner Makes Initial Claim Determination
5. Application Goes to the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review
Don’t Miss: Is Long Term Disability Considered Earned Income
You Undergo Continuing Disability Review
The frequency of your CDRs depends on the severity of your disability.
- If medical improvement is expected CDR 6-18 months from the start of your benefits
- If improvement is possible CDR every 3 years
- If no improvement is expected CDR every 5 to 7 years.Your benefits will continue unless you are determined to be no longer disabled.
Do I Need To Report My Disability Insurance Benefits For Tax Purposes
No, your benefits are not reportable for tax purposes. However, if you are receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits, become unable to work due to a disability, and begin receiving DI benefits, a portion of your DI benefits will be reported for tax purposes.
If this happens, we will send you a notice with your first benefit payment. This notice will tell you that your benefits are being reported to the IRS. In January we will provide you with a 1099G form showing the reportable amounts paid . We will also send a copy of the 1099G to the IRS.
You May Like: How Much Does Disability Pay In California
Should I Sign Up For Direct Deposit
Direct deposit is a great convenience. It is very dependable. You can sign up by contacting your local Social Security office. But if you dont sign up before your disability hearing then it might be too late to have your back benefits paid by direct deposit because the Social Security Administration may have already sent out your check for back benefits.
There are a couple of problems with direct deposit of past due benefits. SSA sometimes has people sign up for direct deposit right when they apply for benefits. Sometimes, people forget that they even signed up and they keep looking for a check in the mail when the money has already been deposited to their bank account. Worse yet, sometimes people close the bank account that they told the Social Security Administration they wanted to use for direct deposit. If this were to happen to you, you would find that it will take a while to straighten this out. It might be necessary for you to go to the Social Security office to update the Social Security Administration on your current account information.
Can I Work A Little While Waiting For Social Security Disability Decision
Its important to know that you cannot work at any time after you have filed for a Social Security Disability benefit or an SSI benefit. You cant deliver papers, mow lawns, work behind the counter in a store no work at all.
If you work, even a little, you will be turned down. The disability approval rate among judges over the past few years increased nationwide.
Thats why its important that if possible, you prepare financially for a long wait before your appeal is approved.
You May Like: How To Calculate Disability Retirement Pay
If I Work With A Lawyer How Much Will They Charge
The SSA limits how much an attorney can be paid when they work on your case. The SSA must approve any fee agreement worked out between you and your lawyer. They can only receive up to 25% of your back pay if your application is successful, but you and your attorney can decide on that. If your case is unsuccessful, you wont pay a penny.
Most People Who Are Approved For Social Security Disability Benefits Receive A Substantial Amount Of Backpay
By Lorraine Netter, Contributing Author
When you are awarded Social Security or SSI disability benefits, Social Security may owe you more than just your awarded monthly disability checks. How much disability income you are owed depends on different factors, including the type of disability benefits you are receiving and how long you were owed past benefits.
Recommended Reading: How To Calculate Disability Retirement Pay
How Long Does It Take To Get Social Security Disability Once Approved
One thing you can count on when applying for Social Security disability benefits is hearing stories from friends and relatives about how incredibly long you must wait before receiving benefits. The truth is that it can take quite a while to go through the application review process before being approved for benefits, but there are some things you should know that may shorten how long it takes to be approved and to receive benefits.
Other Payments May Affect Your Disability Benefits
If you receive certain other government benefits, such as workers’ compensation, public disability benefits, or pensions based on work not covered by Social Security , the Social Security benefits payable to you and your family may be reduced.
For more information about how these benefits can affect your Social Security payments, please refer to the following publications:
Recommended Reading: How Much Does Disability Pay In Ny
Should It Take This Long To Get My Disability Tax Credit Refund
Patience is a virtue, but even the most tolerant thumb-twiddlers can have their composure tested when it comes to claiming a Disability Tax Credit refund in Canada.
Qualified Canadians typically receive their Canadian disability benefits from the Canada Revenue Agency in about 120 days. But these benefits are critical for Canadians that qualify, and if medicals and paperwork checks out, why the wait?
Our Canadian Benefits Specialists provide a glimpse into the long and complex Disability Tax Credit application process, and why disabled Canadians wait almost half a year for their disability benefits:
How Long After Approval For Disability Do You Get Your Money
If you received a favorable decision on your initial application WOW your benefits will start as soon as the paperwork is processed.
You probably wont have to work to obtain back benefits.
Your benefits will probably start within 30-90 days, assuming that you have completed the 5 month elimination period.
If your claim went through a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge, you will have to wait longer. Many ALJs in the New Orleans Social Security and Metairie Social Security hearing offices take about 1-3 months to issue their written decision.
When the decision is favorable, the claim file is then sent to the payment processing center, where it can take another 1-3 months for current benefits to start.
Also Check: Is Borderline Personality Disorder A Disability
When Will You Receive Backpay
Because SSDI applications take a long time to get approved, most successful claimants are entitled to disability back pay. In most cases, back pays are sent to your account 60 days after approval. It may also come with your first disability payment. But this doesnt always happen.
Sometimes, you will receive your back pay much earlier . In other cases, it takes longer than two months. This is because SSDI back pays are handled by payment processing centers instead of the SSA office where you applied.
What Is The Difference Between Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits And Supplemental Security Income Benefits
While both programs are run by the SSA, and the medical requirements for both programs are the same, the two programs are very different.
SSI provides benefits based on financial need. There is a means test involved:
- You cannot have more than $2000 in assets individually or $3000 for a couple.
- You need to be earning less than the $1180 mentioned above.
Social Security will pay SSDI benefits to you and sometimes to members of your family if you qualify medically and have worked either for a business or self-employed and paid Social Security taxes. You receive one credit for each $1320 of wages you have earned. Normally people filing for SSDI benefits need to have earned 40 credits, 20 of which mustve come in the last ten years. Younger disabled workers require fewer credits.
Don’t Miss: Is Fibromyalgia A Long Term Disability
Signs You Will Be Approved For Disability
While it may be a challenge to get approved for disability benefits initially, there are some signs that you will be approved for disability.
While nothing is for certain for sure, there are things that you can do before you send in your application, that can give you a better shot of getting approved for disability initially.
The first sign that you will be approved for disability is that you have enough work credits. In order to qualify for SSDI benefits, you need enough work credits to qualify.
How work credits are calculated is by your age and how long you worked. On average, it is usually around 40 work credits to meet the requirements. You can earn up to 4 work credits per year that youve worked.
The Second sign that you will be approved for disability benefits is that you have a sufficient of medical evidence. Medical evidence to back up your claim that you can no longer work because of your disability is the key to winning a disability claim. The more evidence you have the better. Be sure to include as much medical evidence as you can in your claim.
The third sign that you will be approved for disability, is that you have a condition that is in the SSAs Blue Book. The Blue book is the list of conditions that the SSA has put out that qualify for disability.
The SSA will look at your application and see if your symptoms and ailments match one of its listings in the Blue Book, if it does then you could be approved for disability.
What Happens After My Disability Claim Is Approved
Typically you will receive disability benefits within 60 days of your favorable decision
The most important steps following an award are:
Several factors determine how fast you will get your benefits
Wondering If You Qualify?
Find out if you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits in just seconds with our free evaluation.
You May Like: How Much Does Disability Pay In California
Does The Disability Tax Credit Expire
Yes, the DTC does expire, and most DTC applications are approved for a few years in the future, usually 4-6 years. If the CRA thinks your impairment and/or your personal situation may change and get better with time, they will approve you for those years and once the eligibility period expires you will need to re-apply again with a new DTC application.
In some cases, the CRA may determine that the impairment and/or the disabled person situation may not change therefore they will approve the DTC indefinitely.
How Much Should I Expect From The Ssa After My Social Security Disability Approval
Your lifetime work earnings determine how much money you qualify for each month in Social Security disability benefits. The SSA calculates your maximum monthly benefit amount using your:
Depending on your earnings record, SSDI recipients may be able to receive up to $3,011 per month in benefits.
You May Like: Va Disability Claim For Sciatica
Time For Initial Application Decision
After you turn in your application for SSDI or SSI, a disability examiner will make an initial decision on whether you qualify for benefits. The amount of time it takes to get that decision can vary considerably. Still, nearly two-thirds of readers received a decision within six months after they filed their applications. Nearly four in ten got an answer within three months, while a similar number had to wait longer than six months. Government data says that the average time for the initial disability decision is three and a half months.
If Social Security initially denies your application based on medical eligibility for disability benefits , you can appeal that decision by requesting a hearing. Although you’ll have a greater chance of getting benefits after a disability hearing, you’ll have to wait longer for that opportunityoften much longer.
Work With Our Professionals At Kgb Injury Law To Help Secure Your Claim
Remember, when you work with someone on your claim, you triple your chances of receiving a positive outcome.
KGB Injury Law offers our clients deep knowledge and experience in filing Social Security claims. We believe that all our clients should be treated as people and not just as cases. We understand that suffering a serious disability and the financial and emotional hardships it can cause create real problems for people. When you work with us, you can count on the highest ethical standards. We care deeply about how we treat the people who choose to work with us throughout the entire disability claims process. Your success is our success.
You can get a free consultation, 24-hours a day, on our toll-free line 509-1011. You may also visit our website, tell us about your situation and why you want to file a claim. We will contact you and discuss establishing a relationship to help you with that claim.
Read Also: Can You Get Disability For Sciatica Pain
Im Approved For Disability Now What
After you have gone through the lengthy process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits, you might think that as soon as you are approved you will see a check in the mailbox. It could be great if it were that easy!
After the Social Security Administration makes their decision, they will issue and mail a letter. Your online account will also tell you the decision so its important to check that frequently. The letter will usually tell you the conditions you were approved for and how often you can expect medical reviews of your disability. The letter should also list your Established Onset Date. This is the date Social Security decided you became disabled. This date may or may not be the same date you think you became disabled. If the onset date they choose is the same onset date you asked for, this is called fully favorable. If it is a different date, this is called partially favorable.
In addition to the decision letter, you will also receive a letter informing you of your monthly award amount and if applicable, your back-pay amount. You can receive your payment via direct deposit if you have a bank account or onto a payment card which works like a debit card. You can usually expect your back pay and first monthly check to start 30-90 days after the award letter.