Protective Filing Date

A protective filing date is the date you first contact SSA with a clear intent to file for benefits, which SSA then treats as your application date even if the paperwork is completed later. You can establish one by calling SSA, visiting a field office, starting an online application, or submitting a written statement of intent.

The date matters because it can increase your back pay: SSDI benefits and, especially, SSI benefits are tied to the application date, and SSI can never pay for months before it. After intent is expressed, SSA sends a notice giving you a deadline, generally 60 days for SSI, to complete the full application while keeping the earlier date. Documenting your first contact protects months of potential benefits.