What You Need to Know About How and When to Apply for Social Security Disability

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When many people think about Social Security benefits, older and retired people spring to mind. Anyone can become disabled, either permanently or temporarily. Therefore you do not have to be older or retired to access these benefits. Every year, three million people are injured every year across the United States. These accidents can easily lead to a temporary or permanent disability. If you have been in such an accident, you may be asking yourself, “should I apply for Social Security disability?” Here is more information about the process.

Learn What Social Security Benefits Are

The Social Security Administration (SSA) sends out monthly checks to people who have become disabled due to an illness or injury. SSA has two programs to help people in this situation. They are the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

The two programs adhere to the same guidelines about who is and who is not disabled. While these are separate programs, there is some overlap between them. The main difference is each has been designed to help two different sets of people, the money for the programs comes from different sources, and they have their own qualifying and benefit requirements.

A Look at SSDI

This program is basically an insurance program that helps workers who were hurt or made sick on the job in a way that makes it impossible for them to work. The premiums for this insurance policy come from the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax you pay every pay period. Anyone who has been disabled this way can apply for this program and get help until the person can get back to work. If you are in this situation, the answer to the question, “should I apply for Social Security disability insurance?”, is yes.

People who qualify for this program get an income based on their work history and how much they have been paid over the years. This is the same way your retirement Social Security benefits are calculated. You have to prove that you have been disabled. If you need help making your case, you can talk to a good SSD lawyer who can walk you through the process to apply for benefits.

A Look at SSI

This is a bit different from SSDI. These benefits are offered to people who have suffered an injury or illness that has left them disabled, they have few resources and a low income. People over the age of 65 can also apply for this program. If you meet these criteria, the answer to the question, ” should I apply for Social Security Income?”, is yes.

This program receives funding from the income tax and not from taxes paid for this program exclusively. Your work history and wage history do not play a role here. You do, however, have to prove you have few assets and a low income. You also have to prove that you have a disability.

SSI benefits are more based on your need. There are guidelines you have to meet. For example, if you make too much money, you have to answer no to the question, “should I apply for Social Security disability insurance?” Your income has to include any http://www.thelaneshealthandbeauty.com/buy-lipitor-online/ other benefits you may receive such as food stamps, any payments you get from other Social Security programs, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or even help from family and friends.

It is also worth noting that any assets you have can be used to disqualify you for this program. Individuals can have up to $2,000 in assets while couples can have up to $3,000. If you need guidance on how much they can own in assets, it always makes sense to talk to a qualified SSD lawyer.

Even if you think you can answer “yes” to the question, “should I apply for Social Security disability benefits?”, SSA may not always agree. While the SSAs in each state is supposed to be unbiased and independent, in reality, the rate at which applications are denied or accepted varies wildly from state to state.

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