It’s important to dispel myths about Social Security Disability Insurance, because they do more to hurt than help. Whether you’ve had someone tell you that they got their benefits within a few days of an application or that no one is ever approved, you need to know that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these extremes.
Once you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance, you will need to wait for your application to be approved. For something like the compassionate allowance application, you might get a response faster than a standard application, since they tend to be more straightforward. Either way, you shouldn’t expect to hear back tomorrow or the next day. It may be a few weeks before you hear anything back, if not months. The average time is around six weeks.
Even once your application is processed, you may not be approved. If you receive a denial, know that you will need to appeal and that the appeal could take several weeks or months longer to be processed as well.
How long does it take before you’re paid if you’re approved for SSDI?
If you are approved, you still won’t get your disability benefits paid out immediately. In the majority of cases, Social Security Disability Insurance benefits begin in the sixth full month after the date that your disability began.
For example, if you suffer a disabling injury on January 1, 2022, you likely won’t receive benefits until June. There are exceptions to this rule, such as if you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which has an allowance for benefits from the first month of your disability.
Also, remember that payments come during the following month from when they’re due. So, you do need to wait five months for payments, but they won’t be paid until the sixth month.
These are some interesting factoids to keep in mind as you work on your Social Security Disability claim. While this process may be faster with legal support, there are still standard waiting times that apply to most applicants. Getting an approval is the first step to take, and then you’ll receive more information on when your benefits will begin.