What is the Longest Wait Time for SSDI Approval?

If a recent accident or diagnosis has left you unable to work, you can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Doing this right away is important, as it could be a few months before the Social Security Administration (SSA) approves your application.

Getting approved for SSDI benefits can be a long process. The Social Security Administration will start by reviewing your application, which should include information about your work history and qualifying medical condition. During this time, the SSA might contact you with additional questions about your disability. Even after the SSA approves your application, you might have to wait several months before you receive your first check, depending on when your disability began and when you applied for SSDI. If the SSA denied your claim, our lawyers can help you make a request for reconsideration within 60 days. You should not wait to apply for SSDI benefits if you are disabled and cannot work, as doing so could hurt your case.

For help with your case from our Philadelphia disability lawyers, call Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates at (215) 515-2954 or (609) 557-3081 today.

How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for SSDI Benefits?

Applying for SSDI benefits can be a complicated and lengthy process. Our lawyers can make sure we include the necessary information in your application for benefits so that you do not face any unnecessary delays with your claim.

Depending on the case, the Social Security Administration might take several months to review a claim and make a decision. Cases might get delayed when applicants don’t include all necessary information in their applications. For example, if the SSA is unsatisfied with the medical records you have provided regarding your disability, it might request additional information, forcing you to wait longer for approval.

Preparing your SSDI application ahead of time might help speed the approval process up. Our Pennsylvania, PA disability lawyers can compare your recent diagnosis to the SSA’s listing of impairments for SSDI benefits to ensure you are eligible. We will also gather information about your work history to estimate your monthly benefit before submitting your application.

Mandatory Waiting Periods Following SSDI Approval

After the SSA approves SSDI applicants, applicants must go through a mandatory five-month waiting period. The Social Security Administration uses this five-month waiting period to confirm applicants’ eligibility.

The mandatory waiting period starts the first full month after an applicant’s disability begins. So, depending on how soon after becoming disabled you apply for SSDI benefits, you might not have to wait too long after being approved to get your first check. Applicants with certain conditions, like ALS, are not subject to waiting periods for SSDI.

Because of when the waiting period officially begins, claimants often don’t know when they’ll get their first checks. Suppose the SSA finds that a claimant’s disability began at the start of June after reviewing their application and medical records. Considering the fact that the five-month waiting period starts after the first full month of disability, the applicant in this situation would be get their first check in December. So, all in all, the five-month waiting period often ends up being six months, because of how the SSA sends out checks.

Our attorneys can confirm if the mandatory five-month waiting period applies to your case and, depending on the starting date of your disability and the date you applied for benefits, whether or not you will have to wait at all after the SSA approves your application.

How Long Do SSDI Appeals Take?

Unfortunately, the SSA does not approve all valid SSDI claims the first time around. If the SSA recently denied your claim, our lawyers can take you through the appeals process as quickly as possible.

Waiting to hear back from the SSA could leave SSDI applicants without income for far too long. If, after waiting several weeks or months, the learn that the SSA denied your claim, you can appeal the decision. Applicants must submit a request for reconsideration within 60 days of learning about a claim denial. When you request reconsideration from the SSA, we can submit additional proof of your disability verifying your eligibility for SSDI.

If the SSA does not change its decision, you can request a hearing from an administrative law judge within 60 days. The appeals process might drag on, especially if claimants are unprepared or do not know the reasons for the initial claim denial. To find success in your appeal and ensure that you do not have to continue to appeal your case, our attorneys will review the reasons for the SSA’s initial denial and gather medical evidence necessary to compel the SSA to reconsider its decision as soon as possible after a rejection.

Should You Wait to Apply for SSDI Benefits?

If a recent diagnosis has left you unable to work and earn an income, you might be eligible for SSDI benefits. You should not wait to apply for these benefits, as doing so could leave you without the financial support you need.

Many conditions, ranging from cancers to mental health disorders, qualify insured workers for SSDI benefits. Even if your condition is not specifically listed by the SSA as an eligible disability, the SSA might approve your claim is your disability is similar enough. Waiting to apply for SSDI benefits because you think your disability is not debilitating could ultimately harm your application.

Furthermore, SSDI benefits are only retroactive up to a point. While the SSA might pay retroactive benefits from the day you stopped being able to work because of your injuries, it will only do so for the year leading up to when you submitted your application for benefits. So, if you wait upwards of a year to get your SSDI benefits, you might not get all retroactive payments possible.

Call Our Lawyers for Help with Your SSDI Application

You can get a free case review from Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates when you call our West Chester, PA disability lawyers today at (215) 515-2954 or (609) 557-3081.