SPEEDING UP Social Security disability benefit processing after a win
Congratulations! You have won your Social Security disability case and have been approved for SSI! You have read my article about when you should get paid. But, weeks have gone by and you still have not heard anything from your local Social Security office about your benefits.
Is anyone working on my case?
Is there anyone there?
Hello?
While some SSI cases get very fast processing (sometimes an appointment is scheduled at the Social Security office before the hearing decision is even delivered), other cases wait for more than a month with seemingly no activity from Social Security.
Here is a tip: you can actually …
Super fast Social Security disability benefits
One of my readers asked:
I had my hearing 2 weeks ago in Denver. The judge made an immediate favorable decision. My lawyer told me that most people get their benefits before they even receive the decision. I’m waiting patiently.
Congratulations on the win!
I have written about how long it takes after a hearing to get a decision, as well as my experience with how long it takes to actually get the benefits.
Personally, I have never seen benefits paid before the receiving a decision.
However, I have started to see some cases where a client receives a letter from the local Social Security office scheduling an appointment …
The Social Security disability hearing decision says my case will be reviewed in 12 months
In some disability decisions, the judge ask Social Security to review the case, sometimes as short as six months, sometimes the judge asks for a review in a couple of years.
I thought you said that most Social Security disability cases were for “open” disability — where there is no foreseeable end to the disability.
Compared to a “closed period of disability” case, that is true. In a closed period case, either you, or the judge, picks a date when your disability ended, and it is always a date in the past.
Here, …
Save yourself a trip to Social Security – Use SSA Online!
Before you put yourself through the drudgery of going down to your local Social Security office, check the Social Security website to see if you can take care of your problem without going in.
There are a lot of things you can take care of online.
I won my Social Security case! When do I get my benefits?
After waiting months (even years) to get your Social Security hearing, and then months more to get the decision, you finally have it! Social Security has found you disabled. It is “Favorable” (either Fully Favorable or Partly Favorable).
Ok, now what? When do my benefits begin?
Here’s the thing: Social Security disability claims have two parts:
Part 1. Determining if you are disabled? That was what the hearing was about.
Part 2. Determining your eligibility for benefits, the benefit amount, and the amount of back benefits if any.
Part 1 is done. Part 2 is just starting…
I won my SSI case, now Social Security want to pay me in installments?!?
A lot of things happen after you approved for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
First, Social Security needs to review your financial eligibility.
Second, Social Security must reimburse the State for any interim assistance you received while waiting for your SSI decision. In Colorado, the interim assistance program is called Aid for the Needy Disabled (AND). This means that if you received AND and won your Social Security SSI case, Social Security will first repay the Department of Human Services (Department of Social Services).
Third, Social Security pays out your back benefits in installment payments.
