1. What Is SSDI Back Pay?

SSDI back pay is the accumulated payment of benefits owed to you from the time you became disabled (your established onset date, or EOD) up to the date your claim is approved. This payment is designed to compensate for the months or years you waited during the application and appeals process.

2. How Does SSDI Back Pay Work?

Here’s how back pay is calculated:

• Established Onset Date (EOD)
  This is the date the SSA determines your disability began, based on your medical records and application.
• Five-Month Waiting Period
  SSDI has a mandatory five-month waiting period after your EOD before benefits begin. You will not receive payments for these first five months.
• Approval Date
  Benefits are calculated from the end of the five-month waiting period up to your approval date. For example:
• If your EOD was January 1, 2023, your waiting period ends May 31, 2023.
• If you were approved on January 1, 2025, you would receive back pay for June 2023 through January 2025.

3. Retroactive Payments

In some cases, you may also qualify for retroactive payments, which cover benefits owed up to 12 months before your application date, if you can prove you were disabled during that time. This is separate from standard back pay and requires strong medical evidence of an earlier disability onset.

4. How Will I Receive SSDI Back Pay?

Back pay is typically:

• Paid as a lump sum directly into your bank account via direct deposit
• Deposited a few weeks after your approval notice is received
• In rare cases, delayed slightly if additional bank or account verification is needed

5. Pennsylvania State Rules

SSDI back pay is a federal benefit, meaning the rules for calculation and payment are the same in Pennsylvania as in any other state. There is no reduction or additional state back pay component.