If you recently filed a Social Security Disability claim or if you’re about to file one, you should know about back benefits. You may have to wait some time before you receive your first payment, but you will receive back pay for this waiting period. A Pittsburgh back benefits lawyer from our firm can explain this to you in detail and review your claim.
From Onset to First Payment
Social Security Disability (SSD) has a built-in delay period. Your “onset date” is another term for the date Social Security believes your disabilities made you unable to work. This is the date from which you are eligible for benefits. However, Social Security does not actually issue payments until the sixth full month after the onset date.
If you wait to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or have to appeal your case, your approval may not come for many more months after your onset date.
When your payments begin, Social Security also pays out the benefits that you should have received in the time between your onset date and the date of your first payment. These are called back benefits. Another term for the benefits is Social Security disability back pay.
When Back Pay Applies
Back pay can apply in a number of scenarios. For instance, it can apply if a benefits claim is initially denied but eventually reconsidered and approved. Back pay can also apply if there is a long delay in applying for Supplemental Security Income. There may be other times in which back pay applies. A Pittsburgh SSD lawyer from our firm can explain in greater detail.
For a free legal consultation with a Back Benefits lawyer serving Pittsburgh, call 412-661-1400
Don’t Miss Out on Social Security Disability Benefits
It is important to remember that Social Security will only pay back benefits up to one year prior to the date your claim was first filed. You should apply as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on benefits. You should also appeal a denial, because an appeal retains the original date of filing. Any new application will have a later filing date, causing you to lose potential benefits.
Pittsburgh Back Benefits Lawyer Near Me 412-661-1400
How a Pittsburgh Back Benefits Lawyer Can Help
A lawyer from our firm may be able to help you do several things. For one, your lawyer can review your claim and file an application for you to ensure accuracy. Your lawyer can check whether you completed the form correctly and thoroughly and whether you’re applying according to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) procedure. This may help prevent your claim from being denied.
Your lawyer can also ensure that you represented your disability and communicated your limitations accurately. This could help SSA understand your condition and limitations better so they can evaluate them more precisely.
We May Be Able to Help Appeal a Denial
If your claim is denied for any reason, you have the right to appeal the decision, and your lawyer may be able to appeal the denial for you. Your lawyer can also advise you about collecting and presenting additional evidence for your appeal. For instance, if your initial claim was missing information about your recent employment and pay, your lawyer can advise you to include this with your appeal.
By filing your appeal quickly, your lawyer will be helping you meet the deadline the SSA imposes. This deadline is 60 days from the date you receive a denial notice.
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About Our Pittsburgh Back Benefits Lawyers
Our SSD benefits law firm in Pennsylvania has been helping people like you for more than 40 years and has managed tens of thousands of cases. We handle both SSD cases and personal injury cases, so we have a lot of experience handling insurance companies and insurance agencies, like the Social Security Administration. Our experience gives us an understanding of what SSA is looking for in an application or an appeal.
A Pittsburgh back pay lawyer from our firm will work hard to help you obtain the benefits you deserve. We can tell you more about our services during a free consultation.
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Fee Structure and Back Benefits
Our firm does not charge you for our services unless your claim is awarded. If and when it is awarded, the government will regulate the fees that can be charged and allow your Pennsylvania retroactive benefits attorney to take a certain percentage (up to 25%) of your back benefits as payment, up to a maximum of $6,000, plus certain expenses. As of November 30, 2022 the maximum payment will be $7,200 as determined by the government. These fees are paid directly to the attorney from your back benefits.
Connect with Us for a Back Benefits Lawyer in Pittsburgh
If you are disabled and cannot work a job or are expected to be unable to work a job for a year or longer, you should apply as soon as possible. Don’t let concerns over how to pay for an attorney prevent you from getting experience and knowledge in your corner. One of our firm’s lawyers can determine your eligibility, answer any questions you may have, review your claim for you, and assist in other ways, all at no upfront cost to you.
If you are having trouble with any kind of mental or physical disability, connect with Berger and Green for a complimentary consultation. Contact us today.
Call or text 412-661-1400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
