Any number of issues may arise that create eligibility to collect benefits through certain federal programs when you are unable to work. You may have suffered an injury in the workplace or developed a medical condition that prevents you from being able to earn income. If you are considering filing a Social Security Disability (SSD) claim, timing is a critical part of the process.
The sooner you file your claim, the better. Navigating the system can be stressful and complications may arise. The sooner after your diagnosis that you have filed your claim, the more time you have to resolve any problems that surface in connection with it. There are several other reasons why earlier is better when it comes to filing an SSD claim.
Your SSD claim might not be processed for five months
While it is possible for your claim to go through and to start collecting SSD benefits within three months after filing your initial claim, the process often takes longer. In fact, it can take a full five months from the time you submit a claim until the time it is fully processed. The sooner after your diagnosis that you submit your claim, the less elapse of time there might be between the onset of your condition and the time that you can collect benefits.
Five months must pass between onset and collection of benefits
There is a mandatory five-month waiting period to collect SSD benefits. This means that, even if your claim is processed in three months’ time, you must wait five months from the onset of your condition before you can actually collect benefits. In this example, if your claim were to be processed in three months, but the onset of your condition was five months prior, you would have to wait two more months before collecting benefits.
You can ask for a protective filing date
Knowing that filing your SSD claim as soon as possible is always best does not necessarily mean that you will be able to file your claim when you prefer to do so. There is an option available that enables you to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) of your intent. This means that you would notify the SSA that you are unable to file your claim at this time but plan to file on a particular future date.
If you initiate a protective filing date, the date that you notify the SSA becomes the legal date of application for your claim. So, even if you do not actually file the claim for several weeks after you notify the SSA of your intent on paper, it is as though you filed the claim on the date that you notified the SSA of your plan to do so.
What happens if your claim is denied?
Many SSD claims are denied in their initial applications. If this happens to you, try not to lose hope because many claims are approved upon appeal. If you have questions about the appeals process, you can discuss the issue with someone who is knowledgeable about regulations and laws regarding SSD benefits.