No waiting period for SSI

As soon as your claim for SSI is approved, you can start getting benefits.

Nancy, in San Marcos, California, asks “Is there a waiting period before I am eligible for SSI disability benefits?”

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) has no waiting period. As soon as you become disabled, you should apply for disability. As soon as your claim for SSI is approved, you can start getting benefits.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is different.

For SSDI, you are not eligible to receive benefits until you have been disabled for at least 5 months. This does not mean that you should wait to file your SSDI claim. Most disability cases take a long time before they are approved. It is in your best interest to apply as soon as you can. If you get approved right away, you might need to wait a few months before you start receiving benefits, but you don’t want to delay your application. It often takes many months and sometimes years before a disability claim is approved.

If you have recently been denied disability benefits or are considering applying for benefits, Click here to schedule a free consultation with an experienced disability attorney in the San Diego, Los Angeles, and Riverside areas, serving all of Southern California.