Step 1: Determine Your Disability Onset Date

You must provide evidence of:

• The exact date your disability began to qualify for SSDI retroactively in New Mexico.
• Medical records verifying the start and severity of your condition.
• The disability must have lasted or be expected to last at least 12 continuous months.

Step 2: File Your SSDI Application

Your filing date matters because:

• SSA does not pay benefits before your application date except for up to 12 months backwards from your approved onset date.
• Earlier filing often means receiving a longer retroactive benefit period.

Step 3: Understand SSA’s Back Pay Rules

Key aspects include:

• SSA can pay up to 12 months before your application date if disability onset is proven.
• Back pay covers the months between onset and filing when approved.
• Claimants must avoid filing past the statute of limitations, typically within 6 years from the filing date.

Step 4: Prove Continuous Disability

To maintain retroactive benefits eligibility:

• Your condition must be consistently disabling during the retroactive period.
• Gaps in treatment or improvement may reduce or eliminate retroactive pay.

Step 5: Common Challenges Applying Retroactively

Be aware of potential issues:

• Lack of detailed medical documentation from years back.
• Late filing that limits back pay eligibility under SSA rules.
• Inability to prove continuous disability or work credits at onset time.