Welcome to Apply Social Security Disability – a website devoted to exploring the field of social security disability – primarily through informative videos.
Informal names for Social Security Disability include Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) and Title II benefits, named for the chapter title of the governing section of the Social Security Act.
According to the Social Security Administration, a person qualifies for Social Security Disability if:
1) they have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from engaging in any “substantial gainful activity” (“SGA”), and
2) the condition is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and
3) they are under the age of 65, and
4) generally, they have accumulated 20 social security credits in the last 10 years prior to the onset of disability (normally four credits per full or partial year); one additional credit is required for every year by which the worker’s age exceeds 42.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) is a payroll tax-funded, federal insurance program of the United States government. It is managed by the Social Security Administration and is designed to provide income supplements to people who are physically restricted in their ability to be employed because of a notable disability, usually a physical disability. SSD can be supplied on either a temporary or permanent basis, usually directly correlated to whether the person’s disability is temporary or permanent.
Unlike Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability does not depend on the income of the disabled individual receiving it. A “legitimately” (i.e. according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and via other similar legal and medical backing) disabled person of any income level can theoretically receive SSD. Most SSI recipients are below an administratively-mandated income threshold, and indeed these individuals must in fact stay below that threshold to continue receiving SSI; but this is not the case with SSD.
It is helpful to understand the differences between Social Security Disability and Long Term Disability. Social Security provides a regular monthly payment that supplements any current disability benefits already received.[citation needed] It also provides annual cost of living increases. A portion of these benefits may be tax free.
- Regardless of a person’s age, after receiving SSD benefits for 24 months, they are eligible for Medicare, including Part A (hospital benefits), Part B (medical benefits), and Part D (drug benefits). The date of Medicare eligibility is measured from the date of eligibility for SSD (generally 6 months after the start of disability), not the date when the first SSD payment was received.
- If a person receives Social Security disability benefits, any COBRA benefits may also be extended from 18 to 29 months.
- Social Security disability entitlement “freezes” Social Security earnings records during a person’s period of disability so that reduced earnings during a period of disability will not have an adverse effect on retirement benefits. The resulting benefits computation may raise, but will not lower, future Social Security retirement benefits.
- A person receiving Social Security Disability Insurance may have a dependent (child, adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild or grandchild) eligible for Social Security benefits. This child must be under age 18 or under age 19 if in elementary or secondary school full time.
- A person receiving Social Security Disability Insurance may have a spouse eligible for Social Security benefits. The spouse must be 62 or older or caring for a child of the wage earner who is younger than age 16 or disabled.
- Benefits can be paid on the record of a disabled, retired or deceased parent to an unmarried child of any age if the child became disabled before the age of 22.
- Social Security will provide a person opportunities to return to work while still paying them disability benefits.
