How much can I receive in Social Security back benefits?
KNOW YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
When you’re approved for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, you may begin receiving monthly payments – and you may also get a lump-sum award for months or years in which you were disabled but not yet paid.
Under SSDI, back pay begins five months after your “established onset date,” the day the Social Security Administration determines your disability began.
Suppose you applied Jan. 1, 2023, and SSA agrees your disability started that same day. Your SSDI back pay would begin June 1, 2023 (five months after the established onset date). If you are approved July 1, 2025, you would receive back pay covering June 1, 2023, through July 1, 2025.
You can claim up to 12 months of additional back pay before your application date if you can prove your disability began early enough.
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, works differently. SSI back benefits start the month you file, with no five-month waiting period.
An applicant who became disabled in 2023, who applies on Jan. 1, 2024, and is approved Jan. 1, 2025, would receive back benefits for the period from Jan. 1, 2024, through Jan. 1, 2025, even though their disability began earlier.
The amount of back pay depends on which program you use, your filing date and your onset date. In 2025, the maximum SSI monthly benefit is $967, but SSDI payments can be higher for those with sufficient work history. Filing for both programs ensures you do not miss any benefits for which you qualify.
Experts recommend treating with your doctors as frequently as possible and filing as soon as you can. A disability-benefits attorney can help you navigate SSA rules, document your disability date and maximize both SSDI and SSI back benefits.
Donnie Malchow is an associate attorney at the Hawks Quindel Madison office. He practices worker’s compensation and Social Security disability law. To find an attorney near you, visit wislaw.org.
Know Your Legal Rights is a bimonthly column distributed by the State Bar of Wisconsin. It is sponsored by the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), which connects Wisconsin residents with lawyers throughout the state. To find an attorney in your area, visit wislaw.org.
