What Are Retroactive SSDI Payments?

Retroactive payments are benefits the Social Security Administration (SSA) may provide for the time period between when your disability began and when your SSDI application was approved. They are separate from back pay, which covers the time from your application date to your approval date.

The 12-Month Retroactive Limit

The SSA allows eligible applicants to receive retroactive benefits for up to 12 months prior to their application date. However, to qualify, you must prove that:

• Your disability started before you applied for SSDI.
• You were unable to work for at least 12 months due to your condition.
• Your medical records support the earlier onset date of disability.

The Five-Month Waiting Period

SSDI rules also require a five-month waiting period from the established disability onset date before payments can begin. This means even if you became disabled long before you applied, you won’t receive payments for the first five months of disability.

Proving Disability Onset Date

Your retroactive benefits depend heavily on the onset date of your disability. To establish this, the SSA relies on:

• Medical records and test results.
• Doctor’s opinions and treatment history.
• Work history and when you had to stop working.

Having strong medical evidence is essential to maximize your retroactive payments.

Massachusetts Retroactive SSDI Example

Suppose you became disabled in January 2023, but you did not apply until December 2023. If the SSA agrees with your disability onset date, you may receive retroactive benefits starting from June 2023 (after the five-month waiting period), even though you applied later in the year.