Some times at a Social Security Disability hearing the Administrative Law Judge will ask you if you are willing to amend your onset date.
This means that Administrative Law Judge is willing to find you disabled in exchange for coming up with different date your disability began.
Remember, two things have to happen in a hearing.
The first is you must you win.
The second is that the Judge must decide when you became disabled.
When you apply you tell Social Security the date you became unable to work.
What the Judge is telling you if she asks you to change your disability date is that she does not believe you were disabled as soon as you claimed.
Should you agree to change the onset date?
If the onset date is after your date of last insurance, then you face a tough question.
The date of last insurance means that you must be disabled before this date or you are not eligible for Social Security Disability benefits at all.
The only program you would possibly be eligible for is SSI.
SSI limits the household income and assets you can have so it is not a very attractive alternative.
The other drawback to changing your onset date is that it will reduce your back benefits because you will not have as many months that Social Security has failed to pay you.
What I tell a client is that the most important thing is to get your benefits started.
Do not focus on back benefits.
If you are approved for Social Security Disability you will get a monthly check and eventually Medicare.
There is an old saying: Pigs get fed; hogs get slaughtered.
Questions about your Social Security Disability case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.