According to the United States Census Bureau, 12.1 percent of the US population has some kind of a disability, which equates to around 59 million people. To cater the needs of the people with disabilities, the government offers certain benefits to help them live an independent life. These benefits are commonly known as Social Security Disability benefits.
Unfortunately, many people exhaust their savings and other financial resources because of their lack of knowledge and understanding of different types of social security benefits. Misunderstandings and ignorance prevent people from receiving the disability benefits they deserve. Let’s have a look at different major types of Social Security Disability benefits offered by the government to the people with disability and their families.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
This is, perhaps, the most popular type of Social Security Disability benefits. In order to be eligible to avail this benefit, the individual should be younger than 65 years and must have worked for a specific number of years and have made eligible contributions to the Social Security trust fund.
The program is funded through payroll taxes and the monthly amount paid to the affected individual depends on their previous earning record. After availing SSDI for two years, the individual is considered eligible for Medicare.
Supplemental Security Income
Individuals who are unable to avail SSDI benefits due to work credits requirements can apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is a need-based program and does not depend on your work history. You are only required to meet the SSI income requirements, which says that an individual must have assets of less than $2,000 and a very limited income in order to be eligible for SSI. For couples, the asset limit is less than $3,000.
The maximum benefit paid under SSI program is $674 per month for individuals and $1,011 per month for couples. The amount is revised periodically according to inflation rates.
Disabled Adult Child Benefits
If a child becomes disabled before the age of 22 and is ineligible to receive SSDI benefits because of lack of work credits, they may still qualify to receive the benefits under this program. In order to qualify, the child’s parents must have earned enough work credits. The benefit received will depend on parents’ earning history.
Disabled Widows and Widower’s Benefits
This type of Social Security Disability benefit is offered to individuals who are less than 50 years old and have suffered from a disability within a certain amount of time after the death of their spouse. There are no income level or minimum assets requirements. The only requirement is number of sufficient work credits earned by the deceased spouse.
Child’s Disability Benefits
If a child under the age of 17 years suffers from a severely limiting physical or mental disability, they are eligible to apply for Child’s Disability Benefits (CDB). The SSA also considers household income when considering an application for CDB.
To know more about the benefits and eligibility requirements of each type, contact Brock & Stout. You may call us on our toll free number (800) 884-9600 or fill our online contact form and we will get back to you.