Fully Favorable vs. Partially Favorable Disability Decisions

In the context of Social Security disability (SSDI or SSI) claims, getting a "favorable decision" means that you've been approved for disability benefits following a hearing with an administrative law judge, or "ALJ." Favorable decisions can be further divided into "fully favorable" and "partially favorable" decisions depending on several factors—mainly, whether or not the judge agrees with you about the date you became disabled.

Many disability claimants are understandably excited when they receive a favorable decision granting them SSDI or SSI, but aren't quite sure what it means when their award letter says "partially favorable" at the top of the first page. If you're currently awaiting your letter, it helps to familiarize yourself with Social Security's terminology in order to better understand what happens after a favorable decision is made.

What Does It Mean When the ALJ Issues a Fully Favorable Decision?

A fully favorable decision is the ideal outcome for each SSDI or SSI claim. Fully favorable decisions are issued when the judge agrees that you have been disabled all the way back to the date that you say you became disabled. In Social Security lingo, this is called your alleged onset date. Here's an example of how an ALJ might arrive at a fully favorable decision:

Fully favorable decisions are more likely to result in a greater amount of backpay—also called past-due benefits—especially for people who've been awarded SSDI. (SSI benefits can only go back as far as the initial application date, so the alleged onset date is typically less important for backpay purposes.)

What Does a Partially Favorable SSDI or SSI Decision Mean?

Partially favorable decisions are issued when the judge agrees that you're currently disabled, but disagrees with you on the date your disability started. In a partially favorable decision, you'll see a mismatch between your alleged onset date and your "established" onset date (the date that the ALJ decided you first met the criteria for disability). Here's an example:

Some partially favorable decisions are approvals for a "closed period" of benefits. This happens when the ALJ determines that the applicant was disabled for some time, but isn't any longer—typically because they've recovered enough from their illness, injury, or impairment to return to some kind of work.

Comparing Fully Favorable and Partially Favorable ALJ Decisions

If you're still not clear about the differences between fully favorable and partially favorable decisions, the chart below may help you to visualize what the distinction means and how it can affect your SSDI or SSI claim.

Is Appealing a Partially Favorable Decision a Good Idea?

This is a tricky question to answer as there's no one-size-fits-all "Yes, definitely" or "No, never" recommendation. For many people, their instinct is to appeal a partially favorable decision in order to (hopefully) get an earlier established onset —which can result in a larger amount of past due benefits. Some people who are awarded SSDI are more concerned about their eligibility for Medicare, which kicks in two years after your established onset date.

However, there's an element of risk involved when you appeal a partially favorable decision that doesn't always make it the wisest move. That's because when you request review by the Appeals Council, they don't just look at whether your established onset date is supported. The Council reviews the ALJ's entire reasoning, including whether you're currently disabled—the "favorable" part of your decision. So there's a (slim) chance that the Appeals Council will find that you aren't now and never have been disabled, and reverse the ALJ's whole decision.

While this doesn't happen very often, sometimes the risk isn't worth it—especially for claimants who've often been waiting over a year for a favorable outcome. One significant factor in determining whether to appeal a partially favorable decision is that you won't be able to receive benefits during the appeals process. Because the process can take another year, that means you'd be leaving a large chunk of change off the table at a time when you likely need it the most.

What Happens After a Partially Favorable SSDI or SSI Decision?

If you choose to appeal your partially favorable decision, your case will be reviewed by the Appeals Council. In the best-case scenario, the Council will agree with you that your alleged onset date is supported by substantial evidence and either modify the ALJ's decision or remand (send it back) to the judge with instructions for further development. As mentioned above, in the worst-case scenario, the Appeals Council will reverse the entire decision granting you disability benefits, but this is a rare occurrence. It's more likely that the Council will deny review and your established onset date will stand.

Keep in mind that the ALJ usually has a pretty good reason for choosing an established onset date that doesn't match your alleged onset date. These reasons include evidence that you were working above substantial gainful activity after your alleged onset, lack of medical records supporting disability until a later date, or application of the medical-vocational grid rules (for example, the grid rules direct a finding of disability on your 50th birthday, which occurred after your alleged onset date). Before you appeal the partially favorable decision, consider whether you can support an earlier onset date through medical documentation or legal reasoning.

If you agree with the partially favorable decision, you don't have to do anything. Social Security will send you a letter telling you how much you'll get paid in monthly SSDI or SSI benefits as well as any backpay you're entitled to receive.