After incurring and being diagnosed with a serious disability, you may be hit with hefty medical bills all while being unable to return to your previously held job position. Inevitably, you may be in desperate need of financial assistance during this trying time. This is why it is understandable that you are anxious to get your first Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits check in the mail sooner rather than later. Well, for this, please continue reading to learn how fast you can receive your initial SSDI benefits payment and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can work to expedite this for you.
How fast can I receive my first SSDI benefits payment?
We recommend that you apply for SSDI benefits as soon as you become disabled, to receive your first payment as soon as feasibly possible. That said, there is a five-month waiting period before you may get your initial check. In other words, you may get it the sixth full month after the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines your disability began officially.
In turn, the shortest turnaround time in which you may receive an initial approval of your SSDI benefits application is six months, but more commonly this timeline extends for up to eight months. This is because external factors may slightly delay the SSA’s decision process. An example of something beyond your reasonable control may be that the SSA’s system experiences a significant backlog if there is an exceptionally high number of applicants. Or, something you may be partially at fault for is failing to provide the correct medical records and other supplemental evidence in your initial filing.
What can I do to expedite getting SSDI benefits?
We sympathize with you if you require immediate financial aid from this government program. This is why we will do everything in our power to expedite your receiving of SSDI benefits payments. For one, we may see if you qualify for the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance Program (CAL), which is intended to expedite the processing of SSDI benefits claims for applicants with specific, very serious medical conditions that clearly meet the definition of disability. Examples of such conditions include certain cancer types, adult brain disorders, and rare childhood disorders.
Secondly, we may look into the SSA’s Terminal Illness Program (TERI) on your behalf, which as the name suggests, is supposed to speed up application processing for those with confirmed terminal illnesses. The most common candidates for this are those with certain cancer types, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and those waiting for a heart, lung, liver, or bone marrow transplant.
Speaking with an attorney is never a bad idea, even if you are still unsure whether you require legal assistance just yet. At the very least, they may serve as a shoulder to lean on or a listening ear. So when in doubt, please schedule an initial consultation with a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur today.
