How Long Does It Take To Get Disability Benefits On Your First Try
Technically, disability benefits should to start after a six-month waiting period that begins the day your condition starts. The Social Security Administration calls that day your onset date. So, for example, if your condition begins on January 1st and all goes well with your claim, your benefits could start July 1st.
The SSA says claims take three to five months to process, on average. The SSA doesnt make the initial decision, though. Instead, it sends your claim to a state agency for review. An agent at the state agency will request medical records and other evidence in order to make a determination. When that agency reaches a decision on your claim depends entirely on how long it takes those records or evidence to arrive.
That state agency might also send you additional paperwork to complete, or an independent physical examination. How long each of these steps takes to complete can also delay the decision process.
How To Increase Your Chances Of A Speedy Approval In Maryland
Medical denials are the second most common type of denial after technical denials. To increase your chances of a speedy approval, there are certain steps you can take to speed the medical examination process along. These include:
- Providing all of your medical evidence: The SSA wants a full picture of your medical history. You can make it easy on your examiner by providing your entire medical file at the start. If your examiner requests additional information, respond promptly.
- Staying on top of your application: If the SSA cant contact you with a question, it may deny your application. Make sure that you are monitoring your applications progress and have provided all of your contact information.
- Checking to see if your case is critical: The SSA offers expedited processing for certain conditions it deems critical.
- Hiring an attorney: Disability attorneys are experts on the rules and procedures of the Social Security disability program and will be able to help you cut through confusion and avoid mistakes that can slow down the application process.
You Collect Benefits On An Approved Claim
If your claim is approved, you will receive a Notice of Approval letter that will include details about:
- Your disability onset date
- Date you became eligible for benefits
- Amount of back pay you will be awarded and when you will be paid
- Amount you will receive in monthly benefits and when you will be paid
- Date of your first continuing disability review
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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.
Document Your Physical Symptoms
Long haul Covid-19 may present a vague set of symptoms, not unlike other conditions such as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue that have also been approved for Social Security disability benefits.
However, these types of conditions are more difficult to prove because they generally cannot be diagnosed with one medical test.
“Those aren’t going to be awarded as quickly, because you need to see those over a period of time,” Geist said. “You need a longitudinal history there, and those can be more difficult to document.”
The best way to establish a record of your symptoms is to share them with your doctor and to have them document what is going on.
For example, if you have migraines, how long do they last? What does your recovery process look like?
Keeping track of those details will help if your application has to be considered by a judge, Geist said.
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If I Am Approved How Long Will My Benefits Last
Once you receive approval for either SSDI benefits or SSI benefits, you are eligible to continue to receive them until you reach retirement age when you are placed on Social Security retirement benefits.
Its important to know that the Social Security Administration will conduct periodic reviews of your condition. This can be as often as every two years or as infrequently as every five. The average is every three years.
Benefits will only be removed if the examiner determines that your condition has improved enough for you to be able to return to work. If you dont agree with this decision, you may appeal it.
What Are Ssd And Ssa
Social Security Disability is one of the programs of Social Security that aims to assist disabled workers who cant continue to earn an income due to the said disability.
Social Security Administration is the government agency that administers all processes and requests relating to any of the SS Programs from the tax contributions to application processes to benefits disbursement.
SSA has divided SSD into two different programs: the SSDI and the SSI.
- Social Security Disability Insurance is an earned benefit. Benefits vary on several factors such as the age of the person when the disability case is incurred and filed.
- Supplemental Security Income is not tied to a beneficiarys social security tax contributions or work history. However, the income from other sources must not exceed the set caps.
Social Security Disability benefits vary based on several factors.
For SSI disability, an individual can receive up to $783 monthly benefit, while a family or a couple can receive up to $1,175. Aside from citizens with disabling conditions, persons with low income and limited resources, as well as seniors over 65 years old, can be qualified for SSI.
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Ssd Application Process: How Long Does It Take If Your Claims Denied
The SSD application process doesnt end if your first claims denied. Instead, you have 60 days from the day your denial letter arrives to file an appeal. However, where you live largely determines how long youll wait for an appeals hearing. See average appeals hearing wait times in your state or region here. Currently, the national average wait time for an appeals hearing is 11.8 months. In other words, youll wait at least 1.5 years from the date you apply if you win SSD benefits on appeal.
Applicants who miss the deadline to appeal must start the SSD application process all over again. Unfortunately, if you reapply immediately after receiving a denial, the SSA will automatically reject your next disability application. For this reason, you should always appeal instead of submitting another application! You must wait at least 12 months before you reapply to avoid automatic denial of your next disability claim.
What Will The Amount Of My Monthly Benefits Be
The amount of your first months benefits is shown in your Social Security file. However, the Social Security Administration may recalculate your benefit amount before it pays you. If the Social Security Administration recalculates, it may come up with a higher benefit amount because, for example, all of your earnings might not have been posted when the original calculation was made. Also, there are cost of living increases that are applied every December.
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Expect Possibly Longer Wait Times
In March 2020, the Social Security Administration mostly shuttered its in-person services.
Today, it is still largely processing correspondence online and via postal mail.
A recent investigation by the Social Security Office of the Inspector General found there have been some big delays for people waiting on application decisions.
Currently, it’s taking about 125 days for the agency to process an initial claim, Geist said. For applications that are reconsidered, there’s an additional four months to six months, he said.
So if you’re planning to file an application for benefits for any disabling condition, including Covid-19 and associated long haul issues, “the earlier, the better,” Geist said.
When Will I Receive My Backpay
Backpay is an important component of most SSD claims. The amount of backpay you receive depends on the date your states Disability Determination Service set as the Date of Disability Onset. Remember that the SSD program includes a five-month waiting period.
If your SSD claim took many months to finally be resolved in your favor, your backpay will include the amount of monthly benefit you were awarded multiplied by the number of months since your disability onset date, less five months.
Unfortunately, the Social Security Administration does not pay interest on your SSD backpay.
Your backpay should be issued within 60 days of the date of your approval notice. Some SSD recipients got their backpay much faster, sometimes only days after their approval. Again, the timing of the payment is often affected by the volume of cases at your processing office.
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Talk With Us For Free
The call is free. The advice is free. The result can be life changing. If youve come this far, take one more step. Let us answer any questions you may have regarding a disability claim through Social Security or the VA.
Are you thinking about applying, have already applied, or have been denied?
Let Disability Attorneys of Michigan help you get the disability benefits you need. Call us for a Free Confidential Consultation at 800-949-2900 today.
Terminal Cases Or Teri Cases
If a person has a terminal condition, their disability claim is expedited through the TERI process. TERI designated disability cases are generally processed in less than thirty days.
What if your case is not terminal?
Social Security has a couple other programs that help move cases faster. They are the quick disability determination and Compassionate Allowances processes.
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The Consequences Of Long Wait Times
The clients we see are undergoing extreme financial stress while they wait to hear if they will receive benefits, says Jeffrey Freedman, managing attorney. They struggle to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, often neglecting the medical care they desperately need due to the illness or injury that prevents them from working in the first place.
As an SSD attorney, Kevin Bambury has also seen people in desperate financial circumstances while waiting for a hearing.
This waiting period is financially devastating to most people, Bambury says. They may have no income coming in because they cant work. These individuals quickly run through any savings they may have had because of medical expenses. Most lose their insurance when they stop working. They end up losing their homes, cars, and going without medical treatments that they desperately need.
One fellow was homeless, so he slept on his friends couch for two years before he received his benefits. Another woman ended up living in her mothers basement, Bambury says. Yet another woman, who worked for 20 years, had to depend on her partner to pay their bills. Since her prescriptions were very costly, she went without rather than ask him to pay for them. This only worsened her condition.
Why Disability Checks Are Delayed
Your disability payment schedule depends on your date of birth. People born from the 1st to the 11th of the month receive payments every second Wednesday of the month. If your birthday falls from the 12th until the 20th, you can expect payments every third Wednesday of the month. While those born from the 21st to the 31st will receive their disability checks every last Wednesday.
If your disability check didnt arrive at your expected date, it could be because of:
- Outdated Records. If you fail to update the SSA of a change in address or banking details, it can affect your disability payments. Obviously, the SSA wont be able to send you the payments if they dont know where to send them.
- Backlog in SSA Processing. Due to the huge number of claims, it can take a lot longer for the SSA to process your first payment.
- Banking Error. If there are changes in the bank account which the SSA will use to send you payments, the agency will give you notice to confirm such before sending your check.
To avoid any hitches and ensure that you receive your benefits on time, make sure to update your bank records and other personal details with the SSA.
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Inside The Social Security Disability Claims Approval Process
Getting your Social Security disability benefits claim approved by the Social Security Administration 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:
If your case is denied at the hearing stage, you should appeal immediately with the help of an experienced Social Security attorney or advocate.
Two Types Of Cpp Disability Benefits
| Benefit name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Not receiving the CPP retirement pension | ||
| CPP post-retirement disability benefit | From 60 to 65 | Already receiving the CPP retirement pension for more than 15 months or become disabled after starting to receive the retirement pension |
When you turn 65 your CPP disability benefit is automatically changed to a CPP retirement pension.
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Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits
The Canada Pension Plan provides monthly payments to people who contribute to the plan during their working years.
You may be eligible for CPP disability benefits if:
- you contributed to the CPP for a certain number of years
- you’re under 65 years old
- you have a severe and prolonged mental or physical disability
- your disability prevents you from working on a regular basis
The benefits include payments to children of a person with a disability.
Apply as early as possible if you think you’re eligible for CPP disability benefits. Quebec residents may be eligible for a similar program called the Quebec Pension Plan . It may take several months to process your application.
If you applied for CPP or QPP disability benefits and were told that you’re not eligible, you can ask to have your application reviewed or considered again.
Once you reach age 65, your CPP disability benefit will automatically change to regular CPP payments. Your regular CPP payments may be less than the CPP disability payments you got before.
If so, consider:
Why Does A Ssd Decision Take So Long
Funding gaps, staff shortages, and a growing number of SSD applications plague the SSA. These factors resulted in a backlog of approximately 720,000 individuals as of March 2019.
An audit by the Social Security inspector general uncovered low morale, insufficient staff, and too many SSA employees working from home in New Yorks SSA offices in 2018. The number of SSA employees who work from home has increased exponentially. The number rose from 2,600 employees in 2015 to over 5,500 in 2017.
The SSA stated that the wait time for an SSD decision is getting longer because an aging baby boomer generation is putting additional strain on the system. In a 2008 CBS News interview with Michael Astrue, former SSA commissioner, he noted that as our population ages, the number of claims for SSD increases. The situation only worsens as baby boomers grow older.
In 2020, the SSA will continue to address these issues with a budget of $12.773 billion. The Plan for Compassionate And REsponsive Service outlines the path to a reduced hearing wait time of 270 days. The SSA is working to reduce the backlog with 600 new ALJs and over 650 support staff. Even with these measures, the SSA reports that the backlog is likely to persist until 2021.
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