How to Check Your Date Last Insured

Posted on by sleepygirl
2
Artwork: Zeraph Dylan Moore

Social Security has a special date for you. It’s called your Date Last Insured. You may also hear people call this the “Date Your Work Credits Expire.” This date is used to decide whether you are eligible for SSDI.

Find Your Date!

You can do this by calling Social Security and saying “What’s my Date Last Insured?” In some cases, you may be able to find your Date Last Insured in your online Social Security account, or by asking your lawyer.

Tip: If you haven’t filed taxes yet, or your most recent work earnings have not yet been processed by Social Security, your Date Last Insured may change.

If you want a lot more nitty gritty details, you can also look here: How Is Date Last Insured Determined and How Do I Know if Mine is Correct?

I Found Out! Now What?

It depends. What did you find out?

“I Found Out My Date is a long time from now!”

Excellent! In your dream world, a final decision will be made and you will get approved before your Date Last Insured even hits. If this is the case, you are in the clear. You don’t need to do anything else.

“I Found Out My Date is soon!”

Good information to know! It will help a great deal if you can get some kind of strong medical records before that date. If you have not yet gotten a doctor that supports you, a doctor’s function form, or a letter from your doctor, now is the perfect time to try! You want as many of those things as possible before your date last insured. If there are any medical tests you need, now is the time to get as much good medical evidence as you can. How to Work with Your Doctor to Get Great Disability Documentation

“I Found Out I Have No Date. I was never insured!”

Don’t panic. You have a few options: If you have little or no income, you can apply for SSI instead. This is because SSI is different than SSDI. However, you may wish to look into all your options first because SSI is not as good as SSDI. In some situations, you may have other options: 21 Ways to Apply Even if You Don’t Have Enough Work Credits

“I Found Out My Date is in the past!”

Again, don’t panic. You may still be able to get disability. Your options will change depending on your situation: Help! My Work Credits Expired!

If you have already applied and gone to a hearing, it gets a little more complicated: If you went to a hearing and got denied

More Fun Things You Can Check

While you are checking your Date Last Insured, you might as well check your earnings record as well! If you discover anything is missing, you may be able to add it back. This can increase your disability check! How to check and correct your earnings record.

Updated 2019. Please comment below with stories, ideas, questions or suggestions. Please let us know if any links on this page stop working. If you found this page helpful, please share it with others by pressing one of these magic little buttons:

19 thoughts on “How to Check Your Date Last Insured”

  1. Is it possible to change your disability start date if you have already applied and the claim is pending? If so,how? Thanks in advance

    Like

  2. Is it possible to request a different disability start date if you have already filed a claim, but it is still pending? If so, how? Thanks in advance

    Like

  4. I’m confused on how to determine my credits to see if I qualify to apply.

    I also have a previous application that is stuck at a hearing level and has been since 12/18, with no date. SSA says they can’t change it, but my attorney wants me to apply from scratch, my previous atty did not carry out due diligence on my case. I’m at a loss. And I can’t go into an office because of the COVID-19 virus.

    Like

  7. I found out from SSA my DLI was March 31, 2013. I also found out my medical records support I was highly symptomatic starting in 2012, along with a work record showing multiple failed attempts since 2012 to engage in substantial gainful activity. So I’m going to ask two of the doctors familiar with my case to write letters supporting this evidence and see if that doesn’t get me past the work credit hurdle created by initially reporting a disability onset date in 2015.
    I know there will be more hurdles than this, so you can bet I’ll be back to this website again and again 🙂

    Like

  8. Thank you so much for responding to my query for help.

    While I haven’t yet asked the SSA, I believe my DLI would have been the end of 2013 from a review my years worked w/enough earnings. To confirm, I’m ringing them now to see if I can get an answer.

    Re your 2nd question, I did a lot of research into the 3-3-15 rule, so don’t believe there’s any wiggle room there. SSA did credited my 2014 and 2015 income, yet failed to credit 2011-12, so I don’t think they are going to credit any more years.

    However, from other ideas on this website, my golden ticket may be changing the date I became disabled from 2015 to the end of 2012 or early 2013. This is easily supported by my medical records AND I’m sure I could get one or two of my current physicians to write letters to that fact.

    Like

  9. Oh the pain!!! I submitted my application this summer (before finding your website) for becoming disabled with an inherited neuro-degenerative disease that’s allowed me to perform self-employed work, albeit sporadically. Of course my application was denied due to not enough work credits. So I’ve tried several times to calculate my DLI, but each time get more confused to the point my brain is feeling like Humpty-Dumpty after falling from the wall :-\

    My self-employment earnings history (as reported on Schedules C and SE) are:
    2014-2017 – I worked just enough (under $6000 each year) to receive 4 work credits each year, for a maximum of 20 credits.
    2011-2013 – I worked enough, but was ineligible to receive the 12 possible work credits due to filing taxes late (i.e. the 3 year 3 month 15 day rule for self-employment)
    2009-2010 – no earnings/no work credits
    2000-2006 – enough earnings for 4 work credits each year

    Can you help me make sense of when my DLI is?

    Like

    1. hi Cynthia,

      Excellent question. I don’t know the answer, but here are a few initial thoughts.

      – Did you call SSA and ask what DLI they have on record for you? if any?

      – Work requirements are often 5 out of 10 years. looks like you have 4. so close!!!

      – have you tried doing research or consulting a good tax accountant to see if there are any possible exceptions to the late filing rule. I’m not familiar with the rule. they won’t let you get any credits if you miss the deadline?

      – Here’s a story from someone who corrected her past returns: https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/correcting-your-social-security-work-credits-and-earnings-record/

      – Is something keeping you from SSI eligibility? At your earning level, I think the amount of SSI might be similar to SSDI anyway?

      Like

  10. I have a question regarding your statement above about the denial date is the date of the hearing, not the date of the denial letter. This is critical info for me, is there anywhere online I can see this in writing or verify it?

    Like

  11. I keep trying to go back to work but I just can’t make it work. I’ve always wanted to make my own money since the kids got older but I just stay so sick.

    Thank you for figuring out my Social Security work credits. I can’t say enough how much your help and kind words mean to me!

    Like

Leave a comment