Social Security Disability Approval

Written by Brandon Duber on Monday, January 8, 2018 at 10:28am

If you’ve gone through the procedures of applying for Social Security disability benefits and you’re one of the 201,820 people who were approved for social security disability benefits in the third quarter of 2017, you might be wondering what happens next. If you’ve been approved, the first Social Security benefit you can expect to receive will happen six full months after the date your disability began.

For example, if disability began in April 2017 you should have received your first pay out in October 2017. These benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they’re due, according to the Social Security Administration. If you were due in December of 2017 then your benefits will be paid in January of 2018 and the cycle will continue in that fashion.

How much will I receive in a month?

Average monthly disability benefits depend on your lifetime average earnings covered by the Social Security Administration. There are plenty of calculators on the internet that can help you identify your estimated benefits, but the Social Security Administration recommends using their Benefit Calculators for more exact estimates.

What impacts my benefits?

Other payments might affect the amount of disability benefits you receive. For example, if you receive workers’ compensation, public disability benefits or pensions based on work outside Social Security coverage the benefits due to you and your loved ones may be reduced.

Will my family benefit from Social Security Disability?

If you’ve been approved for disability benefits, you might be wondering if anyone in your family can also receive some of these benefits. The answer is potentially! Certain members of your family may qualify for benefits on your behalf if they are:

• A spouse
• A divorced spouse
• Any dependent children
• Any disabled children
• Any adult disabled children before age 22

If any of your loved ones qualify under the above listed classifications, the Social Security Administration will need each of the Social Security numbers and birth certificates of the respective parties. In the case of a spouse, the Social Security Administration will need the marriage license and the dates of any prior marriages to verify the union.

How much will they receive?

Qualifying loved ones may receive up to 50 percent of your disability rate, but the Social Security Administration does have a max. This maximum depends on the amount of benefits you’re expected to receive and the amount of qualifying loved ones you have.

More often than not, the total amount you and your loved ones will receive is about 150 to 180 percent of your expected disability benefit. For more information on the amount of benefits your family members can receive, we recommend taking a look at the Social Security Administration page.

If you haven’t been approved yet and are wondering what the status of your application is, scroll through our corresponding blog post that walks through how to check its status. On the other hand, if your Social Security Disability claim was denied, once or several times, contact the attorneys at Bentoff & Duber so we can assist you in appealing your claim. Have other questions about Social Security Disability or Social Security Income? Ask our knowledgeable disability benefit attorneys at Bentoff & Duber by calling 216-861-1234 or submit a contact form for your free consultation.

About the author: Brandon Duber, a Partner with Bentoff & Duber Co., LPA, is a lawyer with proven experience in the courtroom and expertise in the areas of workers’ compensation, criminal defense, personal injury and medical malpractice law. He received his B.A. from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and his J.D. from The Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, OH.

• Categories: Legal Advice, Legal News, Social Security Disability, Workers' Compensation