Q. Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits?
By law, Social Security disability benefits can be paid only after a worker has been disabled continuously throughout a period of five full calendar months. The first benefit paid is for the sixth month of disability and is paid in the seventh month.
This waiting period ensures that we pay benefits only to those with long-term disabilities and avoid duplicating other income protection plans (such as employer sick-pay plans) during the early months of disability.
Let me give what would be a more honest answer: "We really don't know. This is what Congress passed. We have to administer it even if it doesn't make sense to us."
Reasons for 5 month waiting period:
ReplyDelete1-Unemployment insurance under another Social Security Act title.
2-Workers' comp short term payments ditto.
3-Being in a family way is not a disability.
4-Almost half way to the 12 month requirement.
5-To give the state agency some hope of getting medical reports.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/pdf/dibreport.pdf
ReplyDeleteThe 1948 Report of the Advisory Council on Social Security to the Senate Committee on Finance
Qualified individuals would be eligible for benefits after a period of 6 months. Such a waiting period was recommended “because it is sufficiently long to permit most essentially temporary conditions to clear up or show definite signs of probable recovery.”
But you must have a disability expected to last for 12 months in order to be found disabled! This is one of the stupidest rules SSA has, and that category is amply stocked. If someone is only going to be disabled for 6 months, they should not be receiving SSD anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point? The "condition" lasts 12 months during the 15-19 month wait for a hearing. They already waited, proved they were disabled and then suckered out of 5 months of benefits (Title II). They have no real excuse.
ReplyDeleteThey really do know. It says clearly that DIB is for long term disability.
ReplyDeleteIt also has the effect of saving money -- and furthers the insurance aspect of T2, in that individuals would provide for themselves for the short-term.
ReplyDelete