Anyone receive first check(not direct deposit) b 4 getting award letter?

[BabyBoomer15]

I have read on here that some people received direct deposit first before receiving the award letter but what about mailed checks?

[MomofTwins28]

I have read on here that some people received direct deposit first before receiving the award letter but what about mailed checks?

I received my children's back pay a whole month in the mail before mine were direct deposited on the card that I have, and MY deposit came a whole month before an award letter. So my guess would be yes, it can happen.

[BabyBoomer15]

So if you don't receive a check or direct deposit the following month after the hearing-that usually means that you have been denied?

[MomofTwins28]

So if you don't receive a check or direct deposit the following month after the hearing-that usually means that you have been denied?

No...thats not what I meant. I was just saying that I received backpay for both myself and my children a couple months before receiving an official award letter. I was just giving an example. Sorry for any confusion.

[BabyBoomer15]

Thats ok--no problem. I was just thinking ahead and it seems that all I have read on this forum-most people receive there first payment the next month after the hearing but I guess it could take longer. I don't want to count my chickens before they are hatched but trying too look ahead. It just seems strange that the approval letter would arrive afterwards. The LTD company needs a copy of the approval/denial letter and if I get paid before hand I guess that I would still receive a check for LTD until the letter arrives.

[peaches]

I know that everyone would like that there was an exact standard series of events within a certain timeframe, but neither life nor disability claims work like that.

An ALJ may make a verbal decision during a hearing, he/she may make a mental denial decision during a hearing, or he/she may decide that there is just not enough evidence to approve a case but that if more evidence is obtained, maybe there can be so the case is held open for more evidence. So, the actual decision can be made immediately at the hearing or months later.

THEN, the decision has to be written and has to be written in sufficient legal language so that it would pass muster with the Appeals Council and possibly with a District Court. Legal writing is much more complicated than any other writing. Every word has to be parsed and reviewed to make sure that there is no possible misinterpretation and that it is sufficient to meet a legal standard. The ALJ does not do his/her own writing. They have a staff. Who have their own backlog. Sometimes the written decision goes back and forth between the writer and the ALJ. Sometimes the writer finds it hard to find the evidence to justify the ALJ's decision. A written decision can take months to be finalized.

THEN, the written decision is mailed to the claimant and the lawyer. And for SSDI, it goes to the payment center. For SSI it goes to the local office.

THEN, a determination of payment is made. This is not a settlement. There is a specific formula that is used to determine payment based on how much a person paid into the Social Security system via payroll taxes for SSDI or a determination of income and resources and living arrangements to determine SSI. It is reasonable that the initial payment and notice come within 30-60 days of the written decision and the retroactive benefits 30-60 days afterwards. The date of the month that the computer inputs are done will determine what month the first check arrives and when the notice is sent. Checks come from one federal agency. Letters come from somewhere else. They are never sent the same day or in the same envelope.

So, there is a process, but there are so many variables, that it is impossible to predict with any real certainty. I know that is what claimants want. But it is not going to happen. It may help to hear another person's story. Your story may be totally different.

I also know that I am going against the pervasive belief that is posted on this board, but I will state that there is no agency directive or plan or belief system that SSA wants you all to quit applying. What is true is that this is an agency charged with a huge job and really has insufficient resources to do all of it well. So it is the claimant's job to be thorough, responsive and proactive because SSA just doesn't have enough staff to do it for you. And if you can't do it yourself, hiring a rep is probably a good idea. And with any profession, there are good, not so good, and bad lawyers.

[BabyBoomer15]

Thanks for the info.

[MTORRES7001@AOL.COM]

This Is Like My Case I Already Had My Hearing And I'm Still Waitting For Any Disition It's Been Two Weeks That My Lawyer Call Me To Let Me Know That They Made A Disition My Lawyer Told Me That They Don't Give Out Any Answered Over The Phone. Can This Mean Good News..or Else...?