When Should I Expect My Ssdi Back Pay
Most approved applicants will receive their SSDI back pay within about 60 days of their claim being approved. The timing can be iffy, though. Some applicants have reported receiving their backpay by direct deposit even before they receive the award letter notifying them of their disability benefits award.
Will I Get Medicare
When you are awarded SSDI benefits, the Social Security Administration determines the date on which your disability began. 29 months after the date your disability began, your right to Medicare kicks in. If you stopped working due to your medical problems, applied for disability benefits and were immediately awarded-you will have a wait on your hands before becoming Medicare eligible. If 29 months have already passed from the date the Social Security Administration found your disability began to the date you were finally awarded benefits, you should be automatically entitled to Medicare.
If you are already covered under a spouses insurance policy, Medicare will become your secondary payer; your already existing insurance policy will remain your primary provider.Powell and Denny: We Work When You Cant
Social Security Disability Evaluation Process
While there are some conditions that the Social Security Administration considers so severe that they automatically render an applicant disabled, many conditions require careful screening, including answering these five questions:
In addition, qualifying conditions must be expected to last at least one year or result in death.
Don’t Miss: How Much Do You Get For Disability
Can I Get Temporary Disability
The short answer is no. Congress had not provided any avenue in which a person may qualify for temporary disability benefits. According to the law, either a person is disabled or they are not; however, that is not to say that one cannot go through a period of time where they were unable to work due to some problem or condition, but later return to work once they improve. This occurs quite often, and when it does happen, we call this a;closed period. This means that for a certain period of time , the claimant was unable to work, and although their circumstances happily changed and they were able to return to work-they are still entitled to disability benefits for the time period they were unable to work.
So, if you were disabled for a period of time lasting at least 12 months and later returned to work, you might still be entitled to disability benefits for the period of time you were unable to perform substantial gainful activity.
If Your Appeal Goes Further You Can Be Charged Up To Another 25%
If your case is appealed to the federal courts and you win your claim, you can be charged another 25%. In theory, where the back benefits are $40,000 the lawyer could receive up to $20,000 of the total back benefits. However, as a practical matter there is a very good chance you will not pay that full amount to your lawyer.
Not only does the larger fee have to be approved, but often the Equal Access to Justice Act will pay some part of your lawyers fee in many cases won in federal court. Any dollar paid by the government to your lawyers fee is a dollar you do not have to pay them.
Also Check: How To Collect Disability In Nj
The Disability Application Process
Whether you apply online, by phone, or in person, the disability benefits application process follows these general steps:
- You gather the information and documents you need to apply. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.
- You complete and submit your application.
- We review your application to make sure you meet some for disability benefits.
- We check whether you worked enough years to qualify.
- We evaluate any current work activities.
- We process your application and forward your case to the Disability Determination Services office in your state.
- This State agency makes the disability determination decision.
To learn more about who decides if you are disabled, read our publication .
Once You’ve Applied
Once we receive your application, well review it and contact you if we have questions. We might request additional documents from you before we can proceed
Look For Our Response
Youll receive a letter in the mail with our decision. If you included information about other family members when you applied, well let you know if they may be able to receive benefits on your record.
Check The Status
You can check the status of your application online using your personal mySocial Security account. If you are unable to check your status online, you can call us 1-800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Appeal A Decision
- Reconsideration.
Apply For Benefits Online
You should apply for disability benefits as soon as you become disabled. Follow these easy steps to apply online for disability:
- To start your application, go to our Apply for Benefits page, and read and agree to the Terms of Service. Click Next.
- On that page, review the Getting Ready section to make sure you have the information you need to apply.
- Select Start A New Application.
- We will ask a few questions about who is filling out the application.
- You will then sign into your mySocial Security account, or you will be prompted to create one.
- Complete the application.
You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:
- Are age 18 or older.
- Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record.
- Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death; and
- Have not been denied for disability in the last 60 days.
Note: If your application was recently denied, our application is a starting point to request a review of the determination we made.
You may be able to file online for SSI at the same time that you file for SSDI benefits. Once you complete the online process above, a Social Security representative will contact you if we need additional information.
Don’t Miss: What To Say To Get Disability
What Do I Need To Know About Advance Designation
You should be aware of another type of representation called Advance Designation. This relates to the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018, which was signed into law on April 13, 2018.
Advance Designation allows capable adult and emancipated minor applicants and beneficiaries of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Special Veterans Benefits to choose one or more individuals to serve as their representative payee in the future, if the need arises.
To help protect whats important to you, we now offer the option to choose a representative payee in advance. In the event that you can no longer make your own decisions, you and your family will have peace of mind knowing you already chose someone you trust to manage your benefits. If you need a representative payee to assist with the management of your benefits, we will first consider your advance designees, but we must still fully evaluate them and determine their suitability at that time.
You can submit your advance designation request when you apply for benefits or after you are already receiving benefits. You may do so through your personal account, by telephone, or in person.
You May Qualify For Legal Assistance
An Alabama disability lawyer makes you 2x more likely to qualify for benefits on your first try. A qualified Social Security attorney can answer all your claim questions for free before you apply. All Alabama disability lawyers work on contingency. That means they cant charge you anything for legal assistance until after your claims approved. And if you do win because a lawyer helped you, youll only pay a small, one-time fee. Its federal law!
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free online benefits evaluation now!
Also Check: How Much Does Disability Pay In Ny
With A Dependent Spouse Or Parent But No Children
Find the dependent status in the left column that best describes you. Then look for your disability rating in the top row. Your monthly basic rate is where your dependent status and disability rating meet.
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits,;be sure to also look at the;Added amounts;table, and add it to your amount from the;Basic rates;table.
| Dependent status | 30% disability rating | 40% disability rating | 50% disability rating | 60% disability rating | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent status | 30% disability rating | 441.35 | 40% disability rating | 635.77 | 50% disability rating | 905.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,146.39 |
| With spouse | 30% disability rating | 493.35 | 40% disability rating | 705.77 | 50% disability rating | 992.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,251.39 |
| With spouse and 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 535.35 | 40% disability rating | 761.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,062.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,335.39 |
| With spouse and 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 577.35 | 40% disability rating | 817.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,132.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,419.39 |
| With 1 parent | 30% disability rating | 483.35 | 40% disability rating | 691.77 | 50% disability rating | 975.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,230.39 |
| With 2 parents | 30% disability rating | 525.35 | 40% disability rating | 747.77 | 50% disability rating | 1,045.04 | 60% disability rating | 1,314.39 |
If your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits,;be sure to also look at the;Added amounts;table, and add it to your amount from the;Basic rates;table.
Do I Have To Pay Taxes On My Ssdi Back Pay
While some portion of your lump sum back payment might be taxable, the IRS makes a substantial effort not to penalize beneficiaries for receiving a large sum from the SSA all in one year. Because federal tax law allows you to apportion some part of those earnings to previous years, you can minimize the amount of income tax you owe during the year you receive the payment.
Every year that you receive disability benefits, the SSA will send you an SSA-1099 tax form. The first form you receive will clearly outline in Box 3 the portion of your lump sum payment that was accrued in previous years. Your form will list each year, along with the total accrued for that year. Make sure to note that this applies to SSDI lump sum payments only, since SSI backpay will be split into multiple payments.
Don’t Miss: Is Workmans Comp The Same As Disability
Alabama And Social Security Disability Benefits
- This image courtesy of Pixabay
ALL STATE DATA UPDATED FOR 2021!
Everyones experience applying for Social Security Disability benefits will be unique. Part of this is because everyones individual medical and work history is different. But, potential applicants should also know that each state like Alabama has its own story to tell in terms of social security disability benefit approval rates at each stage of the process, as well as waiting times at the hearing stage.
Only 1 State Has More Disability Recipients Than Alabama
More than 10 million Americans receive Social Security disability benefits. A large number of those live in Alabama. Leada Gore | .
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
US spends $11.4 a month on disability payments
Social Security benefits – paid to disabled workers, disabled widows and widowers and some disabled adults totaled $11.4 billion per month nationwide up from $6.1 billion just a decade ago, according to a recent analysis by 24/7 Wall Street.
Southern states have higher disability rates
The analysis found disability beneficiary rates vary widely between regions of the country. Southern states tend to have a higher portion of residents collecting disability benefits. There are only four states in the country with 8 percent or more of 18-64 years olds receiving disability benefits and all of them are in the South.
Western states have lower disability rates
Western states tend to have lower disability rates. Seven of the 10 states with the lowest shares of working-age residents collecting disability insurance are in the western part of the country.
Disability rates from state to state
No. 1
At 8.9 percent, West Virginia came in at the top of the list among states where the most people receive disability benefits. Residents there received $122.4 million in monthly benefits. West Virginias labor force participation rate was 52.7 percent the lowest in the country.
The total amount of monthly disability benefits received in Alabama was $293.5 million.
Don’t Miss: Is Adhd Considered An Intellectual Disability
Alabama Disability Claimants Need Very Low Income And Almost No Assets To Qualify For Ssi
The SSI program requires every Alabama disability applicant to pass a financial eligibility test. To do this, you cant earn more than $1,260/month from working. Not working right now? Your passive income must fall below that amount, too. Passive income includes things like alimony or child support payments, lottery winnings, earned interest, etc. You also cant have more than $2,000 in your bank account when you apply. That money counts towards your total asset limit, along with jewelry, stocks, bonds or anything easily sold for cash. However, not all things count towards your asset limit, such as:
- The house you own and the land its on, if you live there
- One vehicle for daily transportation
- Wedding ring, furniture, clothing, other daily living items
Essentially, you cant get SSI if you have too much stuff or get money from other sources already. Married couples need less than $3,000 in assets and $1,260 in combined monthly income to qualify for SSI.
How Does The Ssa Define Disability
The Social Security Administration only pays for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability.
Under Social Security rules you are considered disabled if:
- You cannot do work that you did before;
- The SSA decides that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition; and
- Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
You May Like: How Many Weeks Is Short Term Disability
Disability Requirements For Social Security Disability Benefits
You must also be considered disabled to be eligible for SSDI benefits. The Social Security Administration determines disability by the following requirements:
- You can no longer perform your former job; and
- You cannot perform other work due to your medical condition; and
- Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year, or result in your death.
The SSA maintains a Medically Approved Listing of Impairments. If your medical condition is on the list, you may automatically qualify for benefits. However, if your disability isn’t on the list, this doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to SSDI benefits.
If you don’t qualify for SSDI benefits, you may be eligible for Supplement Security Income benefits . To be approved, you must be disabled and meet strict asset and income rules.
Appeal Hearings In Alabama
Out of all the hearing offices in Alabama, the Mobile hearing office has the highest approval rate. There are 56 Administrative Law Judges who attend hearings throughout the 4 offices in the state. The overall approval rates and waiting times of Alabamas hearing offices closely resemble the national averages.
Don’t Miss: What Is Considered A Disability In California
Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
Social security disability benefits amounts can often vary based on how much your average lifetime earnings were before your injury or disability began. Many often question how much does social security disability pay? What is my social security disability amount? How can I get more money from social security disability? We are here to answer those questions and provide you the most accurate details on social security disability payment amounts.
In , there were 9,695,000 social security disability insurance recipients. The average amount of social security disability payments was $1,127.81. In the same month, there were 8,008,000 Supplemental Security Income recipients with the average monthly payment at $579.56.
Calculating Your Ssi Payment
Here is an example of how the SSA takes into account your income in calculating your SSI payment. Let’s say Maria makes $625 per month from a part-time job, before taxes. Because the SSA won’t count the first $20 of any income per month, or the first $65 of earnings, this leaves Maria’s countable income at $540 . Finally, the SSA doesn’t count half of Maria’s remaining earnings, or $270 in Maria’s case. So, out of the $623, the SSA only counts $270 as countable income and will subtract $270 from Maria’s SSI payment. Maria’s monthly payment will be $524 .
Read Also: How To File For Va Disability