Many individuals rely on their Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits as their sole source of income. This is why it can be concerning when they don’t receive their SSDI benefits on their scheduled payment date.
If you haven’t received your SSDI benefits, it is recommended that you wait for at least three days before you contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to report the problem. Your check may already be in transit.
Read below to learn more about what you can do in case you don’t receive your SSDI benefits.
What to Do If You Didn’t Receive Your SSDI Benefits
A late SSDI payment is no cause for alarm. However, you should contact the SSA as soon as possible to inform them of the delay in the delivery of your check.
The Social Security Administration distributes SSDI payments on a monthly basis according to a predetermined schedule. This means you should expect to get your benefit on the same day every month.
The Social Security Administration policy states that if a beneficiary experiences a delay in receiving their monthly check, they must wait three business days before contacting the agency to resolve the issue.
Having said that, beneficiaries should not put off contacting the SSA about late payments for too long; doing so could leave them unable to pay bills or other expenditures.
How Long Till You Receive SSDI Benefits
When you receive your first check, it is dependent on several things, including the following:
- The waiting period
- The established onset date
Waiting Period
The waiting period for SSDI is five months. If you become disabled, you will not be eligible for compensation until five months after the disability has been established.
The Social Security Administration does not take into account partial months. Except in cases where your impairment began on the first of the month, the waiting period might not start until the next month.
If the Social Security Administration approves your claim, you will be able to begin collecting benefits on the sixth full month after the beginning of your impairment.
Say, for instance, that you became disabled on February 5, 2020. If you are approved, your benefits will begin on August 1, 2020.
Established Onset Date
The Social Security Administration will establish an onset date (EOD) after reviewing your case. Your EOD is the date that you became disabled. This is a crucial date because it establishes the beginning of your waiting period.
Your application date and your EOD are different unless you applied on the same day you became incapacitated. Consult a Social Security Disability attorney if you feel the SSA incorrectly assigned your EOD.
Back Payments
You may go months without receiving benefits after the waiting period has ended. The approval process for SSDI is lengthy. If you are approved, you can get back payments for any full month that passed between your EOD and approval (after subtracting the 5-month waiting period).
In most cases, you can expect to get back payments all at once rather than in several installments. Your initial SSDI payment and your back pay typically arrive at different times.
When Will You Receive the Monthly SSDI Benefits?
The Social Security Administration follows a strict timetable when it comes to sending out monthly SSDI payments. This ensures that beneficiaries can consistently expect to receive their checks on the same day of each month.
Each SSDI beneficiary’s payment is scheduled according to their birthday.
- SSDI payments will be distributed on the second Wednesday of every month to those who were born between the first and tenth of the month.
- Benefit checks will be distributed on the third Wednesday of each month to those who were born between the 11th and the 20th of the month.
- Lastly, individuals who were born between the 21st and the 31st of each month will get their Social Security Disability Insurance payments on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Not all SSDI beneficiaries are eligible for benefits based on their own earnings records. If you rely on your parent’s employment history to get benefits, the day of the month on which you receive your monthly check will be determined by your parent’s birthdate.
The SSDI payment schedule is designed to minimize the impact of holidays and weekends on the processing of payments. If the day of your payment falls on an official federal holiday, your check is expected to be sent to you on the day prior to the holiday.
If your check is sent by mail, there is a small chance that it will arrive somewhat later than expected, but it should still be on or around the planned date. Direct deposit checks should be deposited into the bank account at midnight on the date that they are scheduled to receive their payment.
Reasons Why Your SSDI Is Late
Regardless of the method you choose for your benefit each month, there are times when your check can be delayed. Here are some possible reasons why your check can be late:
Your Bank Details Have Changed
Your Social Security check may take longer to arrive if you update your bank details. In order to prevent future problems, it is necessary to inform the Social Security Administration, typically through your local Social Security office, of the change.
The Address You Provided Has Changed
When you change your address, you have to follow the same rules as when you change your bank account information.
Payment delays may occur if you have not informed the SSA or your regional field office of the change. Even if you are scheduled to receive your direct deposit, there is still a chance that a mismatch of information will result in a problem.
Conclusion
So, while it is normal to be concerned when you don’t receive your SSDI benefits, it is common to experience delays due to the reasons mentioned above. Your SSDI benefits will likely arrive in a couple of days. If not, you must contact the SSA to inform them of the delay.
