How much back pay you get depends on a few dates: when your disability began (the onset date), when you applied, and which program you are in. Small date differences can mean several months more or less.
Is this page for you?
- You were approved and want to know if your back pay is right
- Your award letter uses a later onset date than you expected
- You are applying and want to protect your back pay from the start
- You received an overpayment notice and do not understand it
What we do
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1
Read the award letter with you
We go line by line through the dates and amounts, and explain each in plain words.
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2
Check the onset date
If the records support an earlier date, we look at whether asking for a change makes sense, and tell you the risks.
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3
Check what is still owed
SSDI back pay and SSI back pay are paid differently. We track what should arrive and when.
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4
Explain our fee
Under a fee agreement, our fee comes only from back pay and Social Security must approve it. We show you exactly how it was figured.
How back pay is counted
The two programs count past months differently. Here is the general shape of each.
- Your disability begins The onset date
- Five-month waiting period No SSDI is paid for these months
- SSDI can start Up to 12 months before you applied Back pay month
- You apply Your protective filing date Back pay month
- You are approved Past-due months are added up Back pay month
- You apply SSI does not reach back before this
- The month after you apply SSI can start here Back pay month
- You are approved Large amounts may come in installments Back pay month
A general picture only. Rules about onset dates, insured status and SSI income can change the months that count. We check yours.
What to gather
Do not wait to call until you have everything. We can help find what is missing.
- Your award letter (every page)
- Any letters about overpayments or changes
- Your application date, if you know it
- Bank statements that show any payments received
How long it takes
Back pay often arrives some weeks to a few months after approval. Large SSI back payments are often split into installments.
An honest note
Sometimes the onset date in an award is fair and there is nothing to fix. When that is the case, we say so, and you owe us nothing extra for looking.
Example outcome
Illustrations written for this sample site. Every claim is different, and past results do not predict yours.
Example outcome · Hearing
Approved from a later date
Former roofer, 52, COPD and a heart condition
- The situation
- He stopped working three years before his hearing.
- What we did
- We built the record around breathing tests and his cardiologist's notes.
- How it ended
- Approved, but from a later onset date than requested, so back pay covered fewer months than he hoped.
Partly approved
Common questions
How far back does SSDI back pay go?
SSDI has a five-month waiting period after your onset date. Benefits can also reach back up to 12 months before the month you applied, if you were disabled then. We work out your dates with you.
Does SSI back pay work the same way?
No. SSI generally starts the month after you applied, with no months before that. That is why filing sooner matters for SSI.
Do you take part of my monthly check?
No. Under a fee agreement, our fee comes only from past-due benefits. Your monthly checks going forward are all yours.