People who aren’t able to work because of a disabling medical condition or injury need a way to pay their bills. For individuals who have earned enough work credits, the answer might be Social Security Disability Insurance.
You need to know several things if you’re applying for SSDI. These might help you to figure out what you need to do and how to proceed with the application.
#1: Some applications are fast-tracked
People with certain medical conditions on the Compassionate Allowances list will have their applications fast-tracked. The conditions on this list are so severe that the disability is automatically presumed. In some cases. They’re expected to cause the applicant to die so fast that they’d pass away before a regular application was processed. Applications containing one of the list conditions are automatically flagged by the system and pushed through a fast-tracked process.
#2: Annual adjustments are possible
Annual adjustments can occur with SSDI. The substantial gainful activity limit is one of these. There’s a monthly limit set for non-blind individuals and another for blind individuals. There’s also the possibility of a cost-of-living increase. Congress sets this adjustment based on the present inflation and other factors. The 5.9% 2022 COLA increase was the largest one since 1982.
#3: Payment dates are based on your birthday
There’s a one-month delay for SSDI payments. This means that the SSDI you’re supposed to get in June would be paid in July. The payment date is based on the day you were born. SSDI payments are made on Wednesday.
- Second Wednesday: Birth dates on the 1st to the 10th
- Third Wednesday: Birth dates on the 11th to the 20th
- Fourth Wednesday: Birthdays on the 21st to the 31st
Most people are denied SSDI when they initially apply. Appeals are possible, but they must be done within 60 days of receiving the denial form. Working with someone who’s familiar with these matters is beneficial since you can draw from their knowledge about how to proceed. Call a Social Security attorney to learn whether you might qualify.