When you are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, it is important that you know your disability onset date. Though it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact date on which you were no longer able to work due to your disability, this information is pivotal for your application. This is so much so that it can determine whether you are eligible to receive SSDI payments at all. Continue reading to learn more about the importance of your disability onset date and how an experienced New Jersey SSDI attorney at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur can help you in determining this.
Why is my disability onset date important?
Notably, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will establish your disability onset date in order to determine your eligibility and your pay periods for SSDI benefits. With this, you must provide the SSA with as much documentation as possible so an accurate onset date can be established.
Say, for instance, that you were involved in an accident that led to your disability. You can then use the date of your accident as your onset date.
However, sometimes it is not as straightforward as this. This is because your disability may not have a traumatic origin such as an accident. If this is your case, then you will have to provide the SSA with the following pieces of information:
- That date that you allege that your disability began.
- Your work history, which may portray when you stopped working due to your disability.
- Your medical records, which may portray the progression of your disability.
How do I determine my onset date for a mental impairment?
What’s more difficult to prove is the onset date of your mental impairment. However, you may still be able to do so with the following pieces of information:
- Your medical records, which may portray when and how long you were hospitalized and where in the state of New Jersey you were located.
- Your work history, which may portray a sudden stop of work.
- Detailed statements from attending medical staff, which may portray that your mental impairment occurred prior to hospitalization.
- Detailed statements from those close to you, which may portray an expression of abnormal behavior.
Will SSDI payments be applied retroactively after sharing my disability onset date?
Simply put, no, your SSDI payments will not be applied retroactively after you share your disability onset date with the SSA.
This is not to say that providing your onset date is any less important, though. This is because this date can help the SSA see the full picture of your application and better prove that you require these benefits. For assistance with tracking down your onset date, consult with a skilled New Jersey SSDI attorney today.
