Social Security Disability Insurance is an insurance policy that you’ve paid into via your FICA taxes for all the years you worked. The monetary support you receive through Social Security disability benefits continues until you’re able to return to work on a regular basis or until retirement age, when it automatically converts to retirement benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews your work and medical history to determine if you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.
Have a medical condition, illness or injury that prevents you from working for 12 months or is terminal.
Meet the definition of disabled under SSA rules.
Have worked 5 of the last 10 years in jobs where you paid FICA taxes.
Are at least 21 and have not reached full retirement age.
To get Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you must apply to the SSA. The initial application and the detailed information you provide are critical to getting benefits early. You can complete the Social Security Disability application on your own, or have a disability representative like The Senior Quotes fill it out for you.
The SSA reviews applications to determine whether you qualify for monthly Social Security benefit payments. This sounds simple, but you must have medical evidence and documentation to prove you meet the legal definition of disabled, and carefully complete the forms because it's possible to make simple mistakes that could lead to denial.
The SSA looks at medical and work history to determine who qualifies for SSDI benefits. Generally, to qualify for SSDI, you must:
Be between 21 and full retirement age
Have worked at least five of the last 10 years and paid FICA taxes during that time
Be unable to work in any capacity because of a mental or physical impairment that’s expected to last at least 12 months or result in death
Be under the care of a healthcare professional who can confirm severity of medical condition(s)
Approval for Social Security Disability Insurance unlocks access to money-saving, life-enhancing benefits beyond regular monthly income.
You're eligible for this medical, hospital and prescription drug coverage 24 months after your SSDI benefits begin.
The length of your COBRA benefits could be extended an additional 11 months.
If you have private long-term disability (LTD) insurance, it probably requires you to apply for SSDI. Doing this can protect LTD benefits.
Approval for SSDI triggers a Social Security earnings record freeze that can result in a higher retirement income.
SSDI approval can activate benefits for your children under the age of 18, adding up to 50% more income to your monthly payments.
The SSA evaluates cost of living allowances annually, which could increase your monthly payment.
You may not have to pay income taxes on a portion of the SSDI benefit payments you get each month.
There are incentives if you return to work: free help from a certified Employment Network, protection to work and receive SSDI benefits, and more.
Unfortunately, the Social Security disability application and appeals process can mean lots of waiting, so make it your goal to get approved as early as possible in the process.
Give careful attention to initial application forms, whether you work on them alone or with The Senior Quotes’s help. Also consider taking a FREE assessment before you fill out a single line on your application, to ensure the time you invest in the SSDI process is well spent.
There is a 5-month waiting period for benefits, this is a big reason to apply as soon as you believe you’ll be out of work for 12 months.
Learn to speak the language of SSDI, here and now. This glossary of terms includes what’s most important to know, including the legal disability definition that’s used for Social Security disability benefits.
This type of judge resolves disputes between the SSA and individuals. If your initial application and reconsideration for SSDI benefits are both denied, the next step in the process is a hearing with an ALJ.
If your SSDI application is denied, it is your right to request an official review of the decision. This is considered an appeal, and you can request appeals up to 4 times during the SSDI claims process.
Because it can take a long time to process SSDI claims, some benefits are paid in a lump sum after approval. These benefits go back as far as 12 months before the date of your initial application, and are sometimes also called retroactive benefits or past-due benefits.
This program shortens Social Security Disability approval time for people with disabilities that are permanent or often fatal, reducing a lengthy process from months to days.
This is the date that the Social Security Administration determines you will begin receiving SSDI benefit payments. It will be several months after your “onset date,” or the date when your condition began, because a waiting period is required.
SSA legal definition: Inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Everyday translation: You have a medical condition that prevents you from any type of work for 12 months or more, or result in death.
They decide whether or not SSDI applicants are disabled. After reviewing your application, your state’s DDS gathers information from your physicians and may ask you to have an exam with their own physician.
This short form is sent in to the SSA before your SSDI application, and is only needed if you plan to apply with the help of a representative.
Federal health insurance for people with disabilities or aged 65 and up. If you’re approved for SSDI, you’ll automatically have Medicare coverage 24 months after your date of entitlement to monthly SSDI payments.
This branch of the SSA manages appeal hearings for SSDI benefit applicants. When you file a Request for Hearing (the appeal level after Reconsideration), it is sent to your local OHO for assignment to a judge (ALJ).
If your initial SSDI application is approved, you never take this step. If it’s denied, you have 60 days to file an appeal form requesting reconsideration, or a formal review of your case. Reconsideration is level two in the SSDI benefits claim process, and not offered in some states.
The federal government agency in charge of programs for retirement, SSDI, SSI, Medicare, and survivors’ benefits.
Wage replacement available to people who cannot work due to long-term medical conditions. Monthly benefits are paid to those who prove they meet the SSA’s strict qualifications.
Like SSDI, this federal program is run by the SSA. It helps people with very limited incomes who are disabled or more than 65 years old. Work history is not a factor for approval, and some states offer added SSI benefits of their own.
Support for people who receive SSDI or SSI benefits, are between 18-64 years of age, and wish to return to work. This program allows people to go back to work and explore options without losing cash or medical benefits.
SSDI benefit payments don’t start right away. There is a wait that starts with your “onset date,” or the official date that the SSA determines your disability began. Waiting ends 5 full months after your onset date. So unless your onset date is on the first of the month, your wait is more than 5 months.
