People who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) rely on their monthly disability benefits to makes ends meet. Knowing when to expect a payment is significant for anybody on one of these assistance programs.
At the Disability Advantage Group, we can help you understand how the Social Security Administration (SSA) chooses payment dates for SSDI and SSI. Contact our disability lawyers at 865-566-0800 for help managing your benefits.
When do my disability payments arrive?
The SSA maintains a simple schedule for SSI payments. SSI recipients receive their benefits on the first day of each month.
Things are a little more complicated for SSDI recipients. The SSA issues SSDI benefits on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday of the month. If you began receiving disability payments after May of 1997, your payment date will depend on your date of birth. The SSA divides recipients into three different groups:
- Those with birthdays between the 1stand 10th will receive payment on the second Wednesday of each month;
- Recipients with birthdays between the 11thand 20th receive payment on the third Wednesday; and
- Those with birthdays occurring between the 21stand end of the month receive payment on the fourth Wednesday.
What if my SSDI benefits began before 1997?
Anyone who started receiving benefits before May 1997 will get their check or deposit on the third day of the month, regardless of his or her birthday. If the third day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, the payments will arrive the last business day before that.
Can I change the day I receive my payment?
If you started getting SSDI before May 1997 and would like to switch to the birthday-based system for newer recipients, you are welcome to do so. However, your payment date will change to the Wednesday that corresponds with your birthday.
Contact our office for help changing the date of your disability benefit payments. We can assist you in contacting the SSA and walk you through this process.
What if I receive both SSDI and SSI benefits?
A small number of people qualify for SSDI and SSI benefits. This may occur when a person on disability receives a monthly unearned income of $735 or less.
In these cases, the beneficiary will receive his or her payment on the third day of each month—again, with an exception for when this falls on a weekend or holiday. It is possible to change payment from both benefit systems to the Wednesday that corresponds with your birthday.
If you are eligible for both SSDI and SSI benefits and need help understanding the process, contact our disability lawyers today.
How will I receive my payment?
You will most likely receive your benefits through a direct deposit to a bank account. Other options include adding money to a Direct Express Debit MasterCard or an Electronic Transfer Account specifically set up to receive disability funds.
Some beneficiaries still receive payments through the mail by check. In some cases, there can be delays in delivery because of weather or other abnormal factors. If a payment is more than three days late, recipients should contact the SSA.
If your monthly payment is severely overdue, contact us immediately. We will fight hard to correct any mistakes with the SSA to get you the money you need as soon as possible.
When do I get my payment if I am receiving survivors benefits?
The SSA pays survivors benefits to people who depended on the disability payments of a deceased recipient. Loved ones such as a spouse, child, or dependent parent may collect survivors benefits. If you collect these benefits, the payment date will correspond with the birthday of the deceased.
When will I get my first payment?
When you receive approval for SSI or SSDI benefits, it usually takes a month or two for your first deposit to arrive. It may take another few months on top of that for you to receive back pay or retroactive benefits.
How can a lawyer help me?
If you are already approved for SSI or SSDI, you should receive automatic payments regularly. But if you are a new applicant to either program, or if your payments are severely overdue, an attorney with experience in these kinds of claims can be of crucial assistance.
At the Disability Advantage Group, we can help you through the lengthy and complicated disability benefit process. By relying on our experience in the disability claims system, you are more likely to receive the assistance you need in as quickly as possible.
Our disability attorneys know every step of the sometimes difficult approval process for SSI and SSDI benefits. We will know how to build the best case to get you the benefits you need to survive. Call 865-566-0800 to set up a free consultation.