Social Security Disability Back Pay: Understanding These Issues

Personal Injury

Social Security Disability Back PayThe lawyers here at Golitko & Daly are dedicated to the rights of workers and their loved ones. This commitment has made us one of the leading construction accident and worker injury law firms in the greater Indianapolis area. Not only do we help with litigation over negligence at workplaces, we also help the injured with matters involving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), including applications for benefits. We’d like to consider the nature of back payments for SSDI benefits right now since it’s an important facet of the process to consider.

About Social Security Disability Benefits

As we noted in a previous blog post, Social Security Disability benefits are for people who suffer an injury or illness making them unable to work.

There are a number of qualifications that need to be met in order to qualify for these benefits, such as paying into the Social Security system, proper documentation, and so forth. In general, a disability is considered any injury or illness that:

  • Prevents a person from performing his or her previous job duties;
  • Prevents a person from performing other kinds of work due to the nature of the disability; and
  • Lasts or is expected to last one year or result in the death of the individual

Additional information on qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits can be obtained through the Social Security Administration.

Why would I get back pay for Social Security Disability benefits?

The back pay for Social Security Disability benefits is provided since the process for applying for these benefits can take a long time. Sometimes this back pay will be applied to time before the injury victim filed his or her application for benefits.

Generally the back pay is issued in a lump sum, though split payments may be used when there is a substantial amount of back pay owed to an individual.

Factors Determining How Far the Back Pay Applies

One factor that will be considered is the date that the application was filed. That’s often a good starting point to consider with regard to the beginning of payment. The date of the injury or illness that caused the disability is also important to consider. The onset date of the disability will be determined by a DDS disability examiner or an administrative law judge. Retroactive benefits may also be considered for up to 12 months prior to the application date.

How Our Legal Team Can Help You in This Process

The filing and application process is quite involved, and it can take some time to understand. If you need general assistance with filing an application for Social Security Disability benefits or legal counsel following the denial of these benefits, we will be more than happy to assist you and offer our guidance and advice. We want to make sure that these benefits are provided to those who need them most, and that they receive the benefits as soon as possible.

Contact Golitko & Daly for More Information

To learn more about Social Security Disability issues and how our team can help you in your time of need, be sure to contact the work injury lawyers at our law firm today. The lawyers at Golitko & Daly look forward to your visit and helping you with complicated matters such as these.