The Date Last Insured (DLI) refers to the last quarter in which a Social Security Disability claimant met the insured status and is eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (also known as Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB)). Why does this date matter? Think of SSDI as an insurance program, you pay into it when you earn income. However, once you stop working and stop paying into the program, the insurance will expire. So, your DLI is the expiration date of that insurance program. Now, this does not mean your payments will stop or the money in your “account” will run out on that date, it simply means you have to prove you are disabled before your DLI in order to receive SSDI benefits. Take for example, John Doe has a DLI of December 31, 2014, he applies for SSDI on January 1, 2014. As long as he can establish that he became disabled before December 31, 2014, he will be eligible to receive SSDI benefits, and the benefit will continue after December 31, 2014.
