Types Of Disability Benefits Available By The SSA

If you become disabled, you may be aware that the Social Security Administration (SSA) offers disability benefits for individuals who are not able to work either temporarily or permanently. This benefit is known as Social Security disability insurance (SSDI). SSDI benefits are available to adults and children who qualify under certain criteria. Not all disabilities are eligible; therefore, it is essential to talk to a Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR for an in-depth consultation concerning your specific case. A knowledgeable Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR will be able to assess whether your disability or impairment meets the requirements set by the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration is a federal agency that helps give benefits to those in need. The most common program they run is called “Social Security.” You have probably heard of this program before, and are likely already participating in it.

Workers pay in to the Social Security program while throughout their working life. They do this in order to have some secure income when they retire. In order to receive these benefits, the only requirements are being a certain age (62 for partial benefits, and either 65 or 67 for full benefits, depending on your birth year), and having paid into the system through work. You don’t need to be disabled or make under a certain income to qualify, and benefits aren’t affected by lifestyle or income changes.

These benefits are only one part of a wider range of social insurance programs overseen by the federal Social Security Administration (SSA). This is reflected in the actual name of the program that we know as “Social Security”: the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Program (OASDI).

In addition to retirement benefits, other OASDI benefits include:

• Disability Benefits: Supplemental income for disabled people and their family members who meet certain qualifications There are two types of disability programs: Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (or SSDI).

  SSDI is for working-age adults who are unable to work due to a disability. In order to qualify for SSDI, a person must:

  1. Be under the age of 65;
  2. Have no job or source of income over a very low threshold;
  3. Be diagnosed with an SSA-recognized disorder or condition;
  4. Be significantly disabled by that condition, preventing work;
  5. Have a prognosis that the condition will result in continued disability for at least one year, and/or death;
  6. Have a work history with sufficient “work credits”, i.e. having spent enough time working jobs that pay into the SSA’s programs.

  SSI is for older people who cannot work due to a disability and have limited income and resources. In order to qualify for SSI, a person must:

  1. Be at least 65 years old
  2. Be blind and/or disabled
  3. Have limited resources and income
  4. Live outside of an institution (like a hospital or a prison.

  SSI benefits are not based on work history or paying into the system. Rather, they are based on need (i.e., the combination of age, disability, and lack of resources.)

• Dependents Benefits: If you are the spouse or ex-spouse of someone receiving benefits, you and any of your minor or disabled adult children may also be entitled to benefits. To qualify, a spouse or ex-spouse must:
  1. Be at least 62 years old
  2. Have a child who is under the age of 16, or a child who is disabled.

  Divorced ex-spouses may qualify if:

  1. They were married to the beneficiary for at least ten years;
  2. They have been divorced from the beneficiary for at least two years;
  3. They have not remarried.

  Parents of a deceased beneficiary may also qualify if they are at least 62 years old and were dependent on the beneficiary.

• Survivors Benefits: If your spouse qualified for retirement or disability benefits and then passed away, you and your minor or disabled adult children may be entitled to survivor’s benefits. These include situations where the surviving spouse is:
  1. At least 60 years old;
  2. Disabled and at least 50 years old;
  3. The parent of a child under 16, and/or a disabled child.

  Children who are survivors of deceased workers may also collect benefits, if they are:

  1. Minors under 18;
  2. High-school students 19 and under;
  3. Disabled adults (if they were disabled before age 22).

Do you believe you or a loved one may qualify for social security, SSI, SSDI, or other benefits? Are you in Lake Oswego, OR, or the surrounding areas? Randy Rosenblatt and the experienced social security disability team at Disability Law can help. They are experienced, patient guides and advocates who can help you through the process of application or appeals from start to finish. Attorney Rosenblatt knows how to get results for his clients, and prides himself on helping people in need get the help they deserve. Call (503) 868-4748 for a free consultation today.

The process of obtaining benefits can be overwhelming and complex, but once you are approved for benefits, you will be able to receive financial and medical assistance to help with bills, visits to the doctor, prescriptions, and living expenses for you and your family. As part of the requirements to receive disability benefits, you must be at least under the age of 65 and unable to work for at least a year. Disability benefits are not available to individuals who are partially disabled, or those who have a short-term disability of fewer than 12 months. It is wise to seek the professional assistance of an experienced Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR to help guide you through the application process and improve your odds of getting approved for benefits.

SSDI Monthly Payments

Social Security disability insurance benefit payments are disbursed once a month to recipients. The amount an SSDI recipient receives is based on the average lifetime earnings before the disability started known as credits. Accordingly, disability benefits are not based on the severity of a disability or on the amount of income a person has. The amount of support that someone with a disability usually receives ranges between $800 to $1,800 per month. The average is around $1,200 per month. The maximum benefit, however, is about $3,000.

Benefit amounts can also be affected by other financial sources such as workers’ compensation or temporary state disability benefits. If you are receiving or plan to receive worker’s compensation or temporary state disability benefits, it is important to talk to a Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR to discuss how these other kinds of financial sources may affect your SSDI benefits.

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Unlike workers’ compensation or temporary state disability benefits, if you receive disability benefits from a private long-term disability insurance policy, your SSDI benefits will not be affected. Likewise, if you receive Social Security Income (SSI) or VA benefits, your Social Security disability insurance benefits will not be affected as well.

SSDI monthly benefit payments are not uniform across the board. Every case is unique, and as such, the SSA calculates the amount a recipient receives on a case by case basis. To calculate an individual’s benefits, the SSA uses a complex formula that takes into account the amount of income on which Social Security taxes were paid. To gain a better understanding of the amount of SSDI benefits you may be eligible to receive, you can consult with a skilled Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR.

Medical Benefits

In addition to monthly payments, recipients become eligible for Medicare coverage after 24 months or two years of receiving SSDI benefits. Recipients are usually automatically notified by the SSA of their eligibility with Medicare. If, however, you have a certain extreme medical condition, you could qualify for immediate Medicare coverage. Again, to immediately qualify for Medicare, the SSA has to deem your condition eligible. To determine if your disability or impairment qualifies for immediate Medicare coverage, talk to an expert Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR.

If you do not qualify to receive immediate Medicare coverage, you may qualify for Medicaid if you meet income conditions. If you fall under the federal poverty level (FPL), you could be eligible for Medicaid. If eligible for Medicaid, your SSDI benefits will not be reduced or affected. However, keep in mind that in order to receive Medicaid, SSDI benefits have to fall under the low-income or FPL to qualify. Most recipients of SSDI benefits do not qualify for Medicaid since their payments are higher than the cutoff amount.

Disability Benefits For Children And Family

If your family income decreases due to your disability or impairment, they can be eligible to receive benefits upon your SSDI approval. For instance, children under 18 can apply separately for financial assistance to complete their education. If children have a deceased parent, they could be entitled to their parent’s SSDI payments. Also, children under 18 could be eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

SSDI benefits vary, and not everyone may be eligible to receive all of them. However, it is highly recommended to seek the assistance of a Social Security disability attorney in Lake Oswego, OR to verify the benefits you’re eligible for under your unique case.