Social Security Disability, Back Pay And Your Alleged Onset Date

Did you know that you can receive a lump sum back pay benefit payment from the Social Security Administration (SSD)? If you are eligible to receive Social Security Disability monthly payments, you may also be able to be paid a one-time payment that covers the period of time from the date that you were no longer able to work at your job to your date of application. The SSA refers to the date that you became unable to work as the Alleged Onset Date (AOD), and the money you could receive as back pay. Due to the long application process, your back pay benefit could result in a large sum of money. Read on to learn more about the AOD and how you can collect back pay.

Back Pay

The SSA allows you to receive as much as 12 months of back pay. If you wait too long to apply, you could potentially lose some of your back pay benefits. You should know, however, that the SSA automatically adds a 5 month waiting period to your AOD. For instance, if your AOD was July 15, 2015, the SSA will begin to count your back pay on December 15, 2015. Your back pay amount is calculated based on your earnings for a certain period of time.

Back Pay Denied

Your ability to collect all or some of your back pay could be in jeopardy if you are unable to prove the AOD. Common reasons the SSA gives for denying back pay is that you failed to seek medical help for your condition, you failed to follow up with your appointments, lab tests, medications and treatments, or that you stopped treatment altogether. Your medical records are a vital piece of evidence to your condition and the date that your condition became too severe for you to continue working.

If the SSA denies your back pay based your AOD, they will set a new date of disability to determine your back pay, if any. This new date is known as the EOD, or Established Onset Date. You can appeal any denials of back pay and object to the EOD, it should be noted.

The advantage of being deemed eligible to receive a lump sum payment for those who have been out of work due to their medical condition for some time should be obvious. If you are concerned that the SSA may not be allowing you to collect your full back pay amount, contact a Social Security attorney like one from Espy Metcalf & Espy PC At Law immediately to begin the appeals process. With an attorney's help, you can get the compensation that you need, deserve and are entitled to.

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