Social Security Disability Benefits are monetary payments the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides to individuals who cannot work because of their physical disabilities. It is different from person to person as everyone has another case. The decisions are mainly taken according to the situation of the applicant. You must have a medical condition that is predicted to last at least a year or cause death in order to be eligible for these benefits.
Additionally, you must have worked and paid Social Security taxes for some time, depending on your age, when you became disabled. Your benefits are based on your average lifetime earnings before your disability begins. Book your appointment today with a Boston social security disability attorney.
The Foundations of Disability Benefits
For disabled workers, the Social Security Administration provides Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. While Social Security deductions from paychecks fund SSDI and people who have paid into the system, SSI is for low-income individuals, the blind, and children.
To qualify as disabled for SSDI or SSI benefits, you must have a medical condition that keeps you from working full-time and earning a certain amount each month. You cannot be healthy and apply for the benefits, thinking you will have an extra source of income. Furthermore, the disability must have persisted for an entire year or be predicted to do so, or it must be fatal.
The Social Security Administration maintains an official list of medical impairments, referred to as the blue book of recognized medical conditions. Some conditions on the list include Parkinson’s disease, hearing or vision loss, anxiety, depression, and chronic cardiovascular disease. All cases are considered separately, so you can still be eligible even if your illness is not listed in the blue book. You must have a deep understanding of these concepts.
How Does Social Security Operate?
The federal government manages Social Security as a social insurance program. If you are currently working, you pay “premiums” into the system by deducting Old Age, Survivor, and Disability Insurance. OASDI deductions will apply to the first certain amount in dollars earned annually starting in 2023.
Employers contribute an additional percentage to OASDI, and employees who work for a company and receive a W-2 at the end of the year pay 6.2% of their wages into the program. Independent contractors and other self-employed individuals pay 12.4% of their net income.
Do you qualify for Social Security disability benefits?
Employees who have earned enough credits for the program are qualified to receive Social Security benefits. These benefits are limited to only the qualified employees. Not everyone can access it. It does not matter what the amount is or the annual income is. The SSA determines the number of credits to four.