A disability onset date is a day a person is no longer able to work because of a debilitating medical condition. Disability payments aren’t retroactive, but they start with the application date if all other requirements are met. The information given below explains how the SSA determines a disability onset date. If a person still needs advice, they should read full info here.
Determining Onset Date
For nontraumatic disabilities, a Social Security Disability Lawyer in Tacoma WA and SSA administrators consider the factors below. The weight given to each factor depends on the case’s circumstances, although an onset date must match the medical evidence.
The applicant’s allegations: the applicant must furnish a statement of when the disability began. This information is included on the benefits application and on the disability report.
The applicant’s work history: The SSA office will document claims via a work activity report.
Medical evidence: All medical records should be turned in. While the progressive nature of an ailment may make it difficult to determine an exact date of onset, SSA administrators will make an educated guess based on the claimant’s medical record.
For traumatic disabilities, the onset date is the injury date if the person expects to be out of work for at least a year or is expected not to survive the incident. In some circumstances, it may be assumed that the incident occurred before the last work day or the first medical exam. In such cases, the onset date depends on the judgment of available information from a medical expert.
Mental Patients
For disability cases involving mentally ill individuals, the onset date is made in an initial report provided by a Social Security Disability Lawyer in Tacoma WA. The following evidence types are considered in determining an onset date.
1. Medical records prepared by an attending doctor
2. Medical history, including the first appearance of symptoms, as well as the applicant’s pre-admission condition
3. Detailed statements by medical staff
4. Evidence from others that supports the statements provided by the individual
Special Circumstances
Every claim is unique, and claimants should call a Social Security disability attorney if they are unsure how to determine a disability onset date. In cases of childhood disability, it usually isn’t necessary to find an exact date as long as the disability happened before the applicant turned 22. For blindness, the disability onset date is the date when evidence shows that the applicant’s impairment met the definition of legal blindness. Visit at website for more information.
