If I am found disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: If I am found disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits?

Answering your question.

If you are approved for Social Security Disability benefits, you might be able to get “back pay” — this is money you should have been getting while you were waiting for your case to be decided. How far back that pay goes depends on a few things:

1. When Did You Become Disabled?

Social Security looks at the date you became “disabled” — this is called your onset date.

• If you and your doctor can show that your disability started earlier, Social Security may agree to an “established onset date” before you even applied.
• You can get paid for the time starting after a 5-month waiting period from that onset date.

So if they agree you became disabled in January, you won’t get paid for January through May, but you can get benefits starting in June.

2. When Did You File Your Disability Application?

Even if you became disabled a long time ago, Social Security only pays up to 12 months (1 year) of back pay before your application date.

Example:

• You became disabled in January 2023.
• You applied for benefits in January 2024.
• Social Security agrees your disability started in January 2023.
• You would be eligible for back pay starting June 2023 (after the 5-month waiting period).
• But you can only get benefits back to January 2023, even though your approval came later.

3. What Is the 5-Month Waiting Period?

For SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), there is a built-in waiting period.
 Social Security won’t pay you for the first 5 full months after your disability started.

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) does not have this waiting period, but it will only pay benefits starting the month after you applied.

What Is “Back Pay”?

• It’s a lump sum (one big payment) Social Security gives you to cover the months you were disabled but hadn’t been approved yet.
• Once approved, Social Security usually deposits your back pay into your bank account — either all at once or in parts, depending on the benefit type.

In Summary (Easy Version):

Benefit Type	Back Pay Rules
SSDI	Paid back to the start of disability minus 5 months, but no more than 12 months before you applied.
SSI	Paid back to the month after you applied, not before that.
Both SSDI + SSI	You may get two types of back pay, depending on which you qualify for.

Getting the right onset date is very important — it can mean thousands of extra dollars in back pay. This is why many people hire a disability attorney to help prove when their disability really began. Remember: you don’t pay the attorney unless you win.