Social Security: why does it take so long for the first SSDI check to arrive?

Between 2010 and 2019, around twenty percent of initial claims made for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) were approved. If you are one of the few whose claim is accepted, don’t be surprised if your first check takes months to receive.

If your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) gets approved, you must wait for five months before receiving your first SSDI benefit payment. It is critical that future beneficiaries take this timeline into account and budget for the lack of income that they could face until their payments begin to be sent.

There is no waiting period if your disability arises due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and you get approved for SSDI benefits on or after July 23, 2020.

Why is there a waiting period?

Federal law requires the waiting period for benefits to be sent. According to a benefit handbook published by the Social Security Adminstration (SSA), “under the law, your payments can’t begin until you’ve been disabled for at least five full months.”

How long can one receive SSDI benefits?

This varies on a case-by-case basis. If one’s condition does not improve, then the benefits will be continued. However, the SSA However, once your benefits begin, they will not be stopped, unless your condition improves and allows you to return to the workforce. The SSA may “review your case periodically to make sure you still have a qualifying disability,” but no firm deadlines or dates are provided in the handbook.