The inability to work due to a disability can place a significant financial strain on an individual and their family. Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits offer relief for those who qualify. If you have applied for (SSD) benefits or are considering doing so, you might want to know how much you can expect to receive with each payment and when you can expect your SSD payments to begin.
The caring attorneys at Disability Law Group can help you understand the SSD payment schedule for benefits and calculate what you will receive. Our law firm works exclusively with individuals with conditions that prevent them from working. We can help you pursue the benefits you deserve. Whether this is your first time seeking benefits or you’re planning to appeal a denial, our lawyers can guide you through this often-confusing process.
Contact our Social Security Disability lawyers in Michigan today to get started with a free consultation.
Social Security Disability Payment Schedule
If the Social Security Administration (SSA) finds that you’re entitled to disability benefits, your SSD payment schedule will be based on your date of birth, not on the severity of your disability. If you’re the spouse of a deceased SSD recipient and you’re eligible to receive survivor’s benefits, your payment schedule will be based on your late spouse’s birth date. Here is when you can expect to receive your payments:
- Individuals with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of the month can expect to receive their benefit payments on the second Wednesday of the month.
- Individuals with birthdays between the 11th and 20th of the month will get benefit payments on the third Wednesday of the month.
- Individuals with birthdays that fall between the 21st and 31st of a given month will receive their benefit payments on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Occasionally, the date for scheduled benefit payments is a federal holiday. If you’re scheduled to receive a benefit payment on a federal holiday, the SSA will disburse the payment beforehand on the nearest date that isn’t a holiday.
If you are awarded SSD benefits, the SSA will notify you of the date when your payments will begin. The benefit amount you are entitled to won’t be impacted by your payment date. Your benefits will be paid once per month. The amount you are paid each month is based on the amount you accrued the previous month since the SSA pays disability benefits on an “accrual basis.”
You can generally depend on your SSD payments to be made on time, especially if you receive your benefits through direct deposit or another automatic payment method. In the unlikely event that you don’t receive your monthly benefits at the appropriate time, you can contact the SSA to determine the status of the payment. However, the administration has requested that individuals wait three days after failing to receive payments before contacting the SSA.
To view the SSA’s schedule of Social Security benefit payments, consult their online calendar.
Ways to Receive Your SSD and SSI Payments
There are numerous ways that you can receive your SSD and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) payments each month, including:
- Direct deposit to your bank account
- Direct Express Card, a swipe-able debit card that many people use to receive federal benefits such as SSD and SSI each month
- Electronic Transfer Account (ETA), which is an alternative bank account that federal benefit recipients use to receive payments when they don’t have a checking or savings account
You can also receive your monthly benefit payments by check, which is sent through the mail. However, if you’re able to receive your payments via electronic means, that is preferable since your check could get lost or stolen in transit.
How to Determine SSD Benefit Payments
The only factor the SSA considers when determining your SSD benefit amount is your average lifetime earnings before your disability. The SSA does not consider the seriousness of your disability when calculating your benefit amount, but if you are receiving income from other sources, such as workers’ compensation, your monthly SSD payment amount could be reduced.
Only “covered earnings” count toward determining your SSD benefit amount. In other words, the SSA only counts income you earned at jobs that paid into Social Security. If you had income withheld from your paycheck that went to Social Security taxes or FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act), the wages you made at that job would count as covered earnings.
To compute your SSD benefit amount, the SSA applies your “average indexed monthly earnings” (AIME), which is your average covered earnings across several years. The SSA uses a specific formula to determine your PIA or primary insurance amount. Your PIA is then used to determine your monthly SSD payments.
If you suffered a workplace injury and currently receive disability benefits through workers’ compensation, your SSD benefit amount could be lowered. The SSA has limited the amount of public disability benefits a person can receive. If you’re receiving other public disability benefits, the SSA will reassess your benefits three years after your benefits are initially reduced and every three years after that.
In addition to workers’ comp, other types of public disability benefits that could reduce your SSD benefit amount include:
- Disability-related retirement benefits paid by state and local governments
- Military disability benefits
- Temporary state disability benefits
At the same time, certain types of public disability benefits aren’t counted toward your overall limit. For example, receiving SSI and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits won’t affect your SSD benefit amount.
Contact a Social Security Lawyer for Help
At Disability Law Group, our compassionate attorneys can review your case and estimate your expected SSD benefit amount, determine your payment schedule, and answer any questions about your eligibility for benefits. We can also help you navigate the disability benefits application process, correct a late payment issue, or appeal a claim that was wrongly denied.
The benefits process can be complex and overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. Contact a Michigan SSD lawyer at Disability Law Group for a free consultation to get the legal advice and support you need.
