It is impossible to say. If you win your case, you will receive a mailing from SSA entitled “Notice of Award.” This document will tell you how much back pay you will receive, as well as how much your monthly payment will be, and how much your attorney fee will be.  The amount of back pay you will receive is dependent on many factors. One important factor is whether you are seeking SSI or SSDI benefits. In SSI cases, benefits cannot be retroactive to before the first month following the date of the initial application. In SSDI cases, on the other hand, benefits can be retroactive to one year prior to the initial application date, which means you can potentially get an entire year of additional back pay. 

Other factors which affect your potential back pay award include how much you paid into Social Security (in SSDI cases only), how early you are able to establish disability, and whether there are any offsets, such as workers’ compensation or state disability.  Back pay awards can range from zero to many thousands of dollars. A typical back pay award for an SSI case might be in the $15,000 range, while it is not unusual for a back pay award in a good SSDI case to exceed $50,000. Each case is different!

Social Security Disability Topics

The Social Security Disability Process

Types of Social Security Disability Benefits

How Social Security Determines if You Are Disabled

Improving Your Chances of Winning

Do I really need to get an attorney?

Your Hearing Before An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

Appealing a Denial of Benefits