Alleged Onset Date And Your Social Security Disability Back Pay

Posted on: 25 September 2015

If you have been unable to work at your job because of illness or injury, you should know that you are permitted to collect back pay from Social Security Disability. The date that you believe that you first became disabled, known by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as the Alleged Onset Date (AOD), serves as the potential look-back date for the purposes of determining your back pay. Back pay can constitute a considerable sum of money, and is normally awarded to you in a lump-sum payment. Read on for more information about how the SSA determines this important date for your back pay benefits.

How Much Back Pay Could You Receive?

You can receive as much as 12 months of back pay, which counts back from the date that your application for benefits is approved by the SSA. It's important to note that there is a 5 month waiting period added to your AOD. For example, if you became disabled in June of 2014, your back pay will begin to count in November of 2014.

Don't delay in applying for benefits as soon as you know you have become disabled and cannot work. Not only will the 5 month waiting period delay your benefits, but sometimes applications take months to be processed, approved or denied and appealed. The amount of your back pay is based on the number of years you have worked and how much you have earned within a certain period of time.

Can You Be Denied Your Back Pay?

If the SSA disagrees with your AOD, you could lose some or all of your back pay. The most common reason for claimants to be denied back pay is a failure to seek medical care for their illness. You must be able to prove that your condition made it impossible to work from the time of the AOD to time of the application, at least. The major evidence of disability is your record of medical treatment.

A denial of back pay means that instead of using your AOD to determine your back pay, a new date of disability will be set by the SSA, called the EOD, or Established Onset Date. It's vital to note that you have the right to appeal this decision and adjusted date.

There is no question that you are entitled to receive benefits for your medical condition, but the process of complying with the myriad of SSA rules and deadlines can be overwhelming and confusing. Social Security attorneys are skilled in the application process and will work to get you the back pay and benefits that you need. 

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