Why Does it Take So Long to Get SSI?
Getting SSI benefits takes a long time partly because the Social Security Administration (SSA) has high standards for eligibility.
These benefits aren’t for people who have minor health problems or anyone who just needs a few accommodations to work. SSI is for people who won’t be able to work for a significant amount of time, a year or more, due to their medical condition.
This benefit is also need-based, meaning there is a strict resource limit for recipients. Individuals receiving SSI can only have $2,000 in other assets besides their primary home and one car. Couples receiving SSI are limited to $3,000 in other resources.
Then factor in the fact that there’s an enormous backlog of cases for Social Security to evaluate and not enough claims examiners to evaluate them quickly. You can see why getting SSI benefits can take such a long time.
It’s a good idea to apply for SSI as soon as you can. Don’t wait to start the process of receiving benefits and stretch it out longer.
Talk to a St. George disability lawyer about your application today.
Start with a FREE SSI claim evaluation.
Factors That Can Make an SSI Claim Take Longer
Even in the best-case scenario, this process takes time. Keep in mind what can delay your disability claim even more.
Some common issues include:
- Mistakes on disability claim forms
- Missing information on forms
- Giving information that contradicts the claims of medical professionals
- Failing to respond to SSA requests for more information
- Getting denied and having to go through the appeals process
Some of these factors are out of your control, but there are some ways that our Utah disability attorneys can help you avoid mistakes or errors that make it harder to receive benefits.
Denials are common, even when you think you’ve done everything right with your initial disability application. Appealing is often your best move, but once again, the appeals process can take a long time.
To give you an idea of how an appeal adds to your wait for SSI benefits, recent SSA data shows an average wait time of around eight months for people who need a disability hearing.
That’s on top of the year or even two you may have already waited.
If you weren’t working with a lawyer, you should consider contacting Barnes Disability Advocates if you need to appeal.
Appealing doesn’t just mean filling out more paperwork. You may also need to make legal arguments and identify appealable errors, and those are among the tasks our Utah disability attorneys have extensive experience doing.
We’ll support you throughout the entire appeals process and you won’t pay an attorney’s fee until you win benefits, no matter how long it takes.
What Happens When I Finally Get Approved for SSI in Utah?
Hearing about these wait times can be disappointing. There is some good news though.
Once your disability claim is finally approved, you don’t just start getting monthly benefits checks. You’ll also receive a lump sum of back benefits to make up for time you waited to receive SSI.
Depending on the size of your back pay, this payment could be split into as many as three payments so that you don’t run afoul of the SSI asset limitation rules.
No matter when your health problems developed, Social Security will only award back pay starting from the first full month after you filed your disability claim.
The SSA won’t factor in when your health condition first started interfering with your ability to work. The only thing that matters is when you applied for benefits.
This is another reason to apply for SSI as soon as you think you’re eligible.
Then get one of our Utah disability attorneys to help ease the process of claiming benefits.
This is a tough undertaking, but we know how to win disability benefits for our clients. The disability attorneys at Barnes Disability Advocates take on the toughest cases, and we still maintain an 85% win rate.
We treat you with dignity and respect because we believe strongly that everyone matters and every disability claim matters.
You need a disability attorney who treats you as more than just a case number.
Do You Want to Know More About Our Disability Lawyers in Utah?
Barnes Disability also helps with long-term disability claims when you have a private insurance policy to protect your finances if you lose the ability to work. Our disability attorneys have decades of experience and a mission to help everyday people find peace and dignity in difficult times.
