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What Is My Alleged Onset Date?

In every Social Security disability case, a claimant must allege a date they are officially disabled. This date can also be the date the claimant became unable to work. Also known as the claimant's "alleged onset date," this is the date that Social Security looks at in determining whether or not they will grant benefits.

If a claimant suffered an automobile accident or a violent work accident and that same claimant was unable to work as a result of this accident, then this claimant's onset date would be the date of the accident. In these situations, the alleged onset date is easy to figure out because the disability was immediately triggered by a specific incident.

For most people, a disability isn't the result a horrific accident or traumatic experience. Instead, a disability might result over the course of time, possibly due to normal aging or repetitive physical activity. In these situations, the alleged onset date is typically the date the claimant stopped working.

Here are a few examples:

Example 1
Connie has been working in a card factory for 20 years. One day, while lifting boxes of cards onto shelves in the factory's warehouse, Connie slips and falls severely injuring her back and neck. Connie was unable to return to work following this incident.

Connie's alleged onset date for purposes of her Social Security Disability claim would be the date of her accident at work. This would also be the same date she stopped working.

Example 2
Robert has worked as a truck driver for over 30 years. His work entails driving cross-county each and every week and he is also responsible for loading and unloading the truck. Robert began suffering back pain about 5 years ago, but continued to work. His orthopedic doctor told him that his back pain would persist if he continued working. As a result of suffering severe back pain for 5 years, Robert has decided to stop working at the recommendation of his doctor.

Robert's alleged onset date for purposes of his Social Security Disability claim would the date he stopped working. Even though his back pain began bothering him 5 years ago, Robert continued to work. Therefore, the date his disability began is the date he stopped working.

Understanding how your onset date can affect your case is crucial. Should you choose to hire an attorney, they should go over why this date is important and how it matters at each level of your case. Alleging a specific onset date is an important factor is the disability process. Make sure you are aware of it throughout your case, but especially for your hearing.

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