Key Facts About SSDI

Are you intending to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits? Do you have a family member who may qualify for SSDI benefits, and you are trying to learn more in order to assist them? Have you already applied for SSDI benefits and are confused about why you were denied benefits? In order to understand the answers to these questions and more, it is critical to get the key facts about SSDI benefits and the way this program works. The following are key things to know about SSDI according to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and our national SSDI lawyers.

SSDI is Administered by the SSA 

The SSDI program is a federal benefits program for disabled adults who meet additional requirements that is administered by the Social Security Administration. The SSA also administers Social Security benefits that people receive in retirement regardless of whether they are disabled, as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for low-asset or low-income Americans with disabilities.

SSDI is a Kind of Insurance Coverage 

SSDI is very different from SSI and other types of disability benefits that a person may be able to receive. The SSDI program is a type of insurance coverage that workers earn over a number of hours and years of working. In order to qualify, you must show that you have sufficient work “credits,” which means you have worked long enough and recently enough to have paid into the system so that you are covered.

SSA Uses a Very Specific Definition of a Disability to Approve Benefits 

For SSDI, as well as SSI, you must have a disability that meets a very strict and specific definition — it is not often the definition of a disability that medical doctors use colloquially, or even that the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) uses. To be eligible for SSDI benefits, you must have a severe medical condition expected to last for at least 12 months or to result in death, and it must prevent you from engaging in any kind of significant employment.

SSDI is Not an Income-Based Program for Eligibility Purposes

 Unlike SSI, eligibility for SSDI benefits is not based on a person’s income. High earners, like low-earners or those with limited assets, can qualify for SSDI payments. While eligibility is not income-based, the amount of the payment you receive through SSDI will be based on your particular income prior to becoming disabled. Accordingly, higher earners receive a higher SSDI payment than lower earners. There is, however, a cap, which means especially high earners should not necessarily anticipate receiving SSDI benefits equivalent to their pay prior to their disability.

Contact a National Disability Benefits Attorney for Assistance 

If you have any questions about SSDI that we have not answered here, or if you are ready to complete an application for SSDI benefits or need assistance appealing a denial of SSDI benefits, our firm is here to assist you. An experienced national disability benefits lawyer at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can talk to you today to address any concerns you have and to begin working with you on your SSDI case. Contact us to find out more about how we help disabled adults nationwide to obtain the disability benefits they need to thrive.

Source:

ssa.gov/disabilityfacts/facts.html