How Does a Disability Claim Work?

Disability Insurance

Disability insurance is a program that uses money from the social security fund to protect the income of workers who suddenly become disabled and are unable to continue working at their job. Disability insurance pays workers based on their income earned before the disability. In addition to the national disability program, some employers and unions grant additional worker's compensation benefits. Usually, worker's compensation is paid out as the result of an injury of a temporary nature that happens on the job.

Disability Claims

In order to make a disability claim under the national social security program, one must fulfill several requirements. One must prove that they have worked recently, and worked for a certain duration, which depends on the worker's age (the older the worker, the longer they must have worked). One must also prove disability by having a doctor's assessment to determine weather they should be able to do the work that they had done before the disability. The government ultimately decides whether a person is disabled or not based on the severity of the disablement, if they are currently working, whether they can work the same type of job and whether they can work different jobs. There is an official list of severe impairments that automatically grant disability under the law. To make a claim for benefits, one can fill out an application, providing some information about their work and medical history. Once this is complete, other forms will be sent to be filled out by doctors and health care professionals, which will help the government determine whether a person qualifies for benefits (see Resources below).

Benefits

The main benefit of disability insurance is monetary compensation that scales in line with how much one earned before they become disabled. These monetary benefits can be further extended in certain circumstances, such as if the disabled person has a spouse over 62, a spouse that is taking care of a child younger than 16, or a child that is disabled. In addition, after a person has received disability insurance for 2 years, they are automatically eligible for Medicare coverage. Someone covered under disability can attempt to return to work while maintaining their benefits for a time as they determine whether they can handle the strain of work or not.

Resources

• Social Security government site on disability.