Can a Temporary Disability Claim Be Opened for Filing a Full Disability Claim?
Social Security disability is a federal program of benefits for people who are unable to work because of a disabling injury or illness. Filing a claim involves specific paperwork and procedures before it can be decided by a disability adjudicator.
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Opening a Disability Claim
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To open a disability claim, you must visit your local Social Security office or call 800-772-1213 to process the application over the phone. Social Security will take your basic information and ask you to fill out a Disability Report, which lists your doctors, medical appointments, medications, and the nature of your disabling illness or injury. If you do not have enough work credits to be eligible for disability, you still may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income.
Temporary Disability
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Social Security does not provide for a separate claim of temporary disability. When you file an application, you are asking the agency to accept you as fully and permanently disabled. The medical condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least 12 months, or to result in your death. You must not be earning more than $1,000 per month, before taxes, or your disability claim will be denied.
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Back Benefits
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Social Security will not grant provisional or temporary disability when processing an initial claim. You must wait for the approval and the subsequent start of monthly benefits. If you win the claim, however, you may be entitled to back benefits for up to 12 months prior to the date of your application, depending on the onset date of your disability, as determined by the Social Security adjudicator.
Provisional Disability
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There is an exception to this rule, however, for those whose benefits have been suspended for a return to work. If you fall into this category, Social Security grants expedited reinstatement within five years of the date the benefits were suspended, subject to a medical review. The provisional payments continue for six months while your claim is being reviewed. If there is no decision within six months, then the benefits stop until a decision is made. If you are found to be not disabled, you will have to file an appeal of that decision, or a new disability application.
State Programs
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A few states provide for temporary disability payments for workers suffering an illness or injury unrelated to work. The medical review is conducted by the same Disability Determination Service that reviews ordinary Social Security disability claims. These programs will require you to apply for Social Security disability. The temporary disability payments cease if and when the disabled worker begins receiving Social Security disability benefits.
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References
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