What is the 5-month Waiting Period and Why Does it Matter?

Hey all! This is my first video blog post, so excuse the unflattering angle!

I wanted to do a post to discuss something that I've talked about recently in a post on our Facebook page -- the 5-month waiting period for SSDI benefits. The inspiration for this topic -- which I discuss a lot with my clients, but which I didn't consider doing a post about until recently -- was the story of this Iowa man which was recently in the news.

To recap the video, here are some fast facts about the 5-month waiting period: 

• It applies to SSDI claims only (the types of claims that are based on your work history), not to SSI claims. SSI benefits begin as early as the month after the application took place. 
• There are no conditions that are exempt from the 5-month waiting period at this time. Though an act was introduced in Congress to exempt people with ALS from the 5-month waiting period, the waiting period still applies to all conditions. 
• The waiting period runs from the date of disability, which for many people will be the date they stopped working full-time. 
• The waiting period is a FULL five months. So if someone is found disabled in February, their first check wouldn't be payable until August of that year (I didn't specifically address this point in the above video).
  
• For those who have to wait over a year for a hearing, or who have waiting some time since becoming disabled before they apply, the waiting period is not as big of an issue. By the time these people are approved, the waiting period will have already passed, and they will be eligible for several months of past-due benefits still (i.e. backpayments, or a lump sum). While it is certainly annoying that SSA still withholds 5 months of benefits from the backpayments, the waiting period is more at issue for people who have serious or life-threatening conditions that qualify for payment quickly (such as compassionate allowance cases), but still have to wait several months before receiving their first check. 

Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave them below. Thanks for stopping by!