Fully Favorable vs. Partially Favorable Decisions

When you apply for SSDI benefits, the decision from the Social Security Administration (SSA) will fall into one of two categories: Fully Favorable or Partially Favorable. Understanding the distinction between these two can significantly impact your expectations and planning.

1. Fully Favorable Decision

• What It Means: This decision aligns entirely with your claim. The SSA agrees with your alleged onset date of disability and grants benefits from that date.
• Impact: You receive benefits from the date you claimed your disability began, ensuring maximum possible back pay.

2. Partially Favorable Decision

• What It Means: The SSA agrees that you are disabled but disagrees with the onset date. They assign a later start date for your disability.
• Impact: You still receive benefits from a later date than you claimed, which affects the amount of backpay you receive.

Visual Representation: Understanding the Timelines

To help you visualize the difference, let’s look at a chart comparing both decisions:

• The green line represents a Fully Favorable decision. It indicates that benefits start from the date you claimed your disability began.
• The blue line depicts a Partially Favorable decision, starting from a later date determined by the SSA.