What Is Social Security Disability Insurance?
Social Security disability insurance is money that can be paid out to disabled persons who are unable to work. It is paid out by the Social Security Administration, which has essentially received the money through taxes collected on income you have made. You have to be able to prove that you are disabled, unable to work and have worked long enough to have paid enough income tax.
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Who Gets Disability Benefits
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Social Security pays out disability benefits to you if you cannot work because of a medical condition that will last at least one year or will result in death. You will need to prove that you are disabled via medical records and possibly have to visit a doctor that works for the Social Security Administration. You also need to meet certain guidelines on how long you have worked, and how recent you were able to work.
Applying for Benefits
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In order for the benefits to be received they have to be applied for. Once you have completed the initial application stage it can take up to five months to complete the whole process. To apply, you will need to be able to provide:
* Your Social Security number
* Your birth or baptismal certificate
* Names, addresses and phone numbers of the doctors, caseworkers, hospitals and clinics that took care of you and dates of your visits
* Names and dosage of all the medicine you take
* Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers that you already have in your possession
* Laboratory and test results
* A summary of where you worked and the kind of work you did
* A copy of your most recent W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) or, if you are self-employed, your federal tax return for the past year -
Receiving Payments
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When disability benefits have been approved to be sent to you, you will be paid for the sixth full month you were disabled. So if you became disabled on Feb. 2, you would get paid your first disability benefits for the month of August. The amount of money you would receive is based on your average lifetime earnings. Each year you receive a Social Security statement with an estimate of what you would receive, if you don't have one call 1-800-772-1213 to get one.
Who Else is Eligible for Benefits
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Social Security also will pay out disability benefits to family members of people who are receiving disability benefits. A spouse can receive benefits if she is 62 years old or older, if she is caring for a child of the beneficiary younger than 16 years old, or if the spouse is disabled. Children under the age of 19 can receive benefits and disabled children over 18 years old can as long as they were disabled before the age of 22.
Going Back to Work
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Studies show that there is three in 10 chance of a 20-year-old becoming disabled before reaching retirement age. Due to the high number of people who, at some point, will need disability benefits there are restrictions on whether you can receive additional income while getting disability. If you decide to go back to work you can talk to Social Security about giving you a trial work period to try and see if you can work again. If you are able to work again, the more money you make the less you will get from disability benefits. If you make a certain amount, you no longer qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
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References
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