 SSDRC What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? How do you Win Benefits under Social Security Disability or SSI? If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits? How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much does a Social Security disability attorney get paid? Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability SSI and Fibromyalgia Social Security Disability SSI and Degenerative Disc Disease Can I Qualify For Disability and Receive Benefits based on Depression? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability Status Social Security Disability Tips — how a claim gets worked on Social Security Disability, SSI Disability - Terms, Definitions, Concepts |
When Do You Get A Social Security Disability Award Letter And What Does It Say?How to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits Social Security will notify you when you are approved for disability or denied disability through the mail. When you receive your Social Security award letter depends upon the level of the disability process you were awarded disability benefits. If you are awarded disability benefits at the initial disability claim level, or even the reconsideration appeal level, you should receive your award letter soon after the decision is made. Social Security initial disability claims and reconsideration appeal medical decisions are made at a state disability agency and once they approve your disability claim it is sent back to your local Social Security office for final adjudication. A Social Security claims representative (CR) at the local office adjudicates your Social Security disability approval, which triggers the system to generate your Social Security disability award letter. Your award letter will give you your monthly disability payment amount along with the date or month you are entitled to disability payments. It will also tell you the approximate date you should expect to receive your first disability payment. If you are awarded Social Security disability benefits at the administrative law judge hearing appeal, you may have a longer wait for your award letter. You will first receive a Notice of Decision. This notice is simply to notify a disability claimant of their hearing decision. A Notice of Decision can be an approval or denial of disability benefits. If you are awarded Social Security disability, this notice will state you have been approved for disability benefits and not much more. You may not receive your official award notice for a few weeks. Administrative law judge hearing approvals are sent to regional payment centers to be processed. Regional payment centers have to process thousands of disability cases and are often understaffed. In fact, it is not unusual for a disability claimant to actually receive their Social Security payment prior to receiving their formal award letters. If you are represented by a disability lawyer or a non-attorney representative, this individual will be able to do periodic status checks as to how the processing of your back pay is going. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Topics and Questions SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |