Date of Entitlement (DOE)

Date of Entitlement to Disability, or DOE, is the date the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines when an individual is eligible to begin receiving disability benefits.

A Date of Entitlement will differ based on the type of claim, specifically whether someone is applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With SSDI, a date of entitlement will more often than not be five months after the date someone declared an intent to file for disability, if that intent was not made within 12 months of the onset of a disability. While, in the case of SSI, the Date of Entitlement will be the day someone makes an intent to file known. If they qualify for benefits, their benefits will start on their Date of Entitlement.

The reason for the difference in time between the two programs is because SSI is considered a needs-based program. In order to receive SSI, an individual must be found unable to secure basic necessities (such as food and shelter), and therefore they do not require a five-month waiting period. Wherein, In the case of SSDI, they are expected to be unable to work for at least a year or until death to qualify for benefits. The five-month waiting period is there to ensure they meet Social Security’s stringent definition of disability. However, because SSDI is an insurance program and entitlement is contingent upon contributing through payroll taxes, SSDI benefits can be paid for qualifying months prior to the application date. SSI benefits are not payable for any months before an application for benefits is made. The two programs do overlap however, and the application for SSI benefits can be made at the same time as an application for SSDI benefits.

More information about SSI Requirements here.