Approved for regular Social Security while my SSDI claim is pending - will I get disability backpay?

Yes, this is completely normal and actually good news! What's happening is the SSA is approving you for Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) while your Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) claim is still being processed. Since you're over 62, you qualify for retirement, so they're giving you that in the meantime. When your disability is approved, they'll switch you to the higher SSDI amount.As for backpay - yes, you'll still get disability backpay from your original application date in February, minus any retirement benefits you received in the meantime. The difference between your retirement amount and disability amount will be paid to you for each month going back to your application date (or established onset date if that's different).

Thank you so much for explaining! When you say they'll subtract the retirement benefits from my backpay, does that mean they'll take back the retirement payments they're giving me now? I'm trying to budget and don't want any surprises.

This happened to my brother last year! Took them 14 months to approve his disability claim but they at least gave him the early retirement while he waited. The backpay was weird though - they didn't just give him all the money at once. They split it into 3 payments spread out over several months. Something about their payment system not handling large backpay amounts all at once.

Wow, 14 months? I'm already 10 months in and losing my mind waiting. Did your brother have to do anything special to make sure he got the backpay correctly?

be careful with medicare!!!! when u get switched to disability they might change your medicare enrollment date too. happened to me and messed up all my doctors appointments

Oh no, I didn't even think about Medicare implications. I'll have to ask about that specifically when I talk to them next. Thanks for the heads up!

What you're describing is a very standard procedure the SSA uses when someone might qualify for both retirement and disability. They call it \

Thank you for such a detailed explanation! I feel much better now. I was worried taking the retirement might somehow hurt my disability case, but it sounds like this is actually standard procedure.

I went through this exact situation in 2023. Filed for disability after a stroke, got early retirement while waiting, then eventually got approved for SSDI. Getting someone at Social Security to explain how the backpay worked was IMPOSSIBLE - every time I called, I'd be on hold for hours only to get disconnected or told different information.I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at SSA who could explain everything. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically gets you to the front of the SSA phone queue. Was worth it because I finally got someone to explain exactly how my backpay would work and when to expect it.

does that really work?? i tried calling SS last week and gave up after being on hold for 2hrs!!

YOUR GETTING SCREWED!!! Social security is doing this to avoid paying u the full backpay!!! THEY DID THIS TO ME TOO!!!!

This is incorrect information. The SSA isn't trying to avoid paying backpay. They're actually helping by providing some income while the disability determination is made. OP will still get all backpay they're entitled to - it will just be the difference between retirement and disability amounts for those months.

Did your disability examiner tell you how long redetermination might take? My claim sat in that status for 3 months before moving forward. My understanding is they're checking to make sure all the medical evidence supports your claim before making a decision. Having them offer retirement benefits in the meantime is usually a good sign - means they recognize you need income support.

No, she was really vague about timeline. Just said it was 'still being processed' and couldn't give me any estimate. I've sent in all my medical records from 3 different specialists plus the hospital records from my surgeries. Not sure what else they need at this point.

One thing I learned the hard way - make sure you keep documentation of EVERYTHING. When my disability was finally approved after getting retirement, there was confusion about the backpay calculation. I had to go back and forth with them multiple times to get it corrected. Write down every person you talk to, the date, what they told you. The SSA systems don't always communicate well between departments.

This is excellent advice! I had the same experience with my backpay calculation. Had to call multiple times and each representative gave slightly different information. Documentation was the only thing that saved me from getting shortchanged.