The last two words any Social Security disability insurance applicant wants to hear is “waiting period.” Many are struggling financially or terminally ill. Most have waited up to six months for the review of their application and a year or more for a hearing. Add to that an appeals process of up to 18 months after the denial of an application.
Approved claimants are subject to a five-month waiting period, beginning on the date the applicants became disabled or the established onset date (EOD). During this time, the Social Security Administration (SSA) withholds monthly disbursements that become back pay.
Starting as a six-month waiting period in the 1950’s, Congress established the time frame to account for those with short-term injuries or illnesses to recover and discourage potential applicants who could work.
Exceptions exist where the waiting period does not apply and includes the following:
- Those approved for SSI benefits are eligible for the first payment or back payments on the first of the month after they apply for disability
- SSDI recipients who returned to work and stopped receiving benefits only to suffer from another disability more than five years after the onset date of the previous disability
- Applications for dependent benefits for children of disabled workers
Legislative attempts to eliminate the five-month waiting period have fallen short. In 2001 and 2013, the House and the Senate introduced bills respectively to provide benefits immediately. Both bills failed to gain support based on arguments involving the program solvency and projected shortfalls.
Attorney Robert D. Paulbeck can make a difference in your life. He is a skilled and knowledgeable attorney who has been successful in securing the Social Security disability benefits his clients deserve.