Some West Virginia residents are entitled to back pay after their applications for disability benefits are approved. This is because they may have had a condition that resulted in a total disability before they decided to ask for compensation. Applicants might also be entitled to back pay for the time it took for their applications to work through the system. In some cases, this can take months or years.
It is important to note that there is a five-month waiting time for disability benefits that begins from the established date of disability (EOD). Therefore, some individuals may not receive a back payment at all. Instead, their benefits might not begin until after their applications are approved. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to provide as much evidence as possible to establish when their impairments began. This can be done with medical and work history records.
Those who have a mental or physical disability are generally entitled to receive disability benefits from the federal government. Applicants must typically be able to show that they cannot earn a gainful income from a job that they may be qualified to do based on their work or education history. Furthermore, it must be shown that the condition will keep them out of work for at least 12 months.
It’s often wise to seek the guidance of a legal professional when filling out a disability benefits application. Legal counsel could also be helpful during the appeal process if an initial application is denied. In many cases, benefits are not approved until a hearing with a judge. A filer may be entitled to back pay if the date of their disability occurred before the date at which they were approved to receive benefits.