 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 |
What Happens If You Miss Your Social Security Disability Application Appointment?How to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits If you miss your Social Security disability application appointment, Social Security will send you what is known as a closeout letter. Basically, the closeout letter will give you six months from the date of your denial notice to file for Social Security disability benefits using the date that you contacted the Social Security Administration as a protective filing date. If you fail to file for Social Security disability during the six-month period, your new filing date for disability will be when you recontacted Social Security to set up another appointment for a disability application, meaning that you may end up not being eligible for as much in back pay benefits. Closeout letters allow Social Security to limit the scope of their disability application. Simply, it allows them to limit the amount of retroactive benefits payable. Social Security pays twelve months of retroactive benefits provided that there has been substantial work activity for at least seventeen months prior to the protected date of filing. For example, if you contacted Social Security for your disability application appointment on 10/01/10 with an alleged disability onset date (when you first became unable to work at the substantial gainful activity level because of your disabling condition) of 05/01/09, Social Security could potentially pay you retroactive benefits back to 10/09. However, if your disability application appointment was set for 10/15/10 and you miss your appointment on 10/15/10 and do not contact Social Security to reschedule your disability interview until 06/15/11, Social Security will only pay retroactive benefits back to 07/10. Social Security can only pay twelve months back from the protected date of filing of 06/15/11. In this example, even if you allege the same disability onset of 05/01/09, you can only receive retroactive benefits back to 07/10 because of your protected date of filing is 06/15/11, rather than 10/01/10. Once Social Security sends the closeout notice for a missed disability application appointment, they do not contact an applicant again. Rescheduling the disability application interview is the applicant's responsibility. The applicant could miss months of disability benefits if they do not file their disability claim within the six month closeout period, especially if they have not been working for months or even years before they contacted Social Security for their missed disability application interview. 
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 |