Clearing the Muddy Waters of Social Security Disability
There are many people out there that have questions about the Social Security Disability process, how it works, if they qualify and what to do.
This process is one that can be extremely frustrating to someone that is unfamiliar with the laws or the process.
If this is you, you are not the only one out there feeling that way.
Here are some basic questions that we hear a lot and a few simple straight forward answers to those questions.
We hope that this information can help you to better understand the process, and know what you should do next.
The question we probably hear more than any other is "How are Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income different? The truth is, there is a lot of difference between them.
Social Security Disability is known as SSD and Supplemental Security Income is known as SSI.
The common ground between the two is they are both for disabled citizens, but that is where the commonality ends.
SSI is for those people that are disabled and have never worked or have not worked enough to qualify for SSD.
This is a wide group, including children, mothers or fathers who stay at home, or people who worked before they were disabled, but did not pay enough into Social Security to qualify them for SSD benefits.
SSI also is income based, so if you are married and your spouse makes too much money for the Social Security guidelines you could be denied even if you are disabled.
Social Security Disability works like this: you work, you pay taxes, and you pay for Social Security.
The Social Security Administration keeps records on each individual, recording how many years they worked, how much they earned, and how many Social Security "quarters" they have worked and paid.
Once a person has qualified for SSD benefits, a Social Security record or statement will be provided to them annually.
This statement will detail how much money you could receive if you became disabled and approved for Social Security Disability benefits.
This statement also tells you your Date Last Insured often referred to as your DLI.
Q: "I would like to obtain a copy of my SSD record.
How do I do this? A: You can contact your local Social Security Administration office and ask for a copy of this statement.
You can also obtain information from your statement over the phone, like your DLI, the amount of time you are recorded as having worked, etc.
You can find your local office by calling 1 800 772 1213 or going online to the Social Security Administration website.
Q: "I have worked almost all of my life? How is it possible that I do not qualify for SSD benefits?" A: This is a situation that is different for every person.
When you pay into Social Security it is almost like when you pay for health coverage.
Insurance benefits will end after a certain time has elapsed since you last paid.
This is the same for Social Security.
If you work for 25 years and you decide to take early retirement you are now not "paying" into Social Security.
After this, you only have a certain amount of time before your Social Security Disability coverage will end.
If you find yourself in this situation, you will probably want to think about applying for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Q: "I paid good money into the Social Security system, and now it is gone! Why can't I get it back? A: This is a good argument but unfortunately this is not how Social Security works.
You do have to be found medically disabled even for SSD benefits.
Yes, you paid into the system and that is why you are able to apply for SSD benefits instead of SSI benefits.
Q: "I am already getting Social Security Disability but its not enough, I need to get more money.
" A: This is a situation that many people find themselves in, and it is a frustrating one.
Unfortunately when you are receiving Social Security Disability there is not a such thing as getting more money.
With SSD you are either approved and receiving the entire benefit available to you or you are denied and receive nothing.
There is only so much "money" in your "account" to be withdrawn.
It is similar to if you had a regular bank account that you withdrew monthly funds from, there is only so much money in that bank account and no more is being added because you are not working.
Q: "Before I went to jail, I was receiving Social Security Disability.
Why do I no longer receive my benefits? A: When a person is incarcerated, they become a ward of the state, which pays for food, board, etc.
, Because of this the Social Security Benefits are stopped and when you are released you often have to reapply for benefits.
In this situation it may be a good idea to contact an attorney or professional that is familiar with this type of situation.
Q: "How long does this process take?" A: This is different with every case.
As a general rule, pretty much every applicant will be rejected one or more times.
The entire process on average can take about 2 to 5 years.
If you have been going through this process and now you are facing a hearing it is beneficial for you to at least speak with a representative that knows the law for Social Security benefits.
Most Social Security professionals offer a free consultation, and will let you know up front whether or not they can take on your case.
Q: "My SSD application was approved, and I have been receiving benefits.
Now they tell me they paid me too much and I have to pay them back.
" A: Unfortunately, this really does happen, and is called an "overpayment case.
" If this happens to you, the first thing you need to do is speak to a lawyer who handles these kinds of Social Security cases.
If you find yourself in any of these situations and you are not sure what to do start asking questions.
Contact a local professional for a free consultation and just because one attorney does not want to take your case doesn't mean that another attorney wont.
There are attorneys that handle SSI but not SSD and there are attorneys that handle all types of situations with social security benefits.
If you do not know how to find a Social Security lawyer or who you should speak to first, there is a referral agency for lawyers who work with Social Security cases.
This organization is called NOSSCR, or the National Organization for Social Security Claimant's Representatives.
If you call them and let them know what type of social security situation it is, such as SSI benefits, an overpayment case, a cessation (where they stopped your benefits) etc, they will give you the name and number of an attorney in your area to contact.
This process is one that can be extremely frustrating to someone that is unfamiliar with the laws or the process.
If this is you, you are not the only one out there feeling that way.
Here are some basic questions that we hear a lot and a few simple straight forward answers to those questions.
We hope that this information can help you to better understand the process, and know what you should do next.
The question we probably hear more than any other is "How are Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income different? The truth is, there is a lot of difference between them.
Social Security Disability is known as SSD and Supplemental Security Income is known as SSI.
The common ground between the two is they are both for disabled citizens, but that is where the commonality ends.
SSI is for those people that are disabled and have never worked or have not worked enough to qualify for SSD.
This is a wide group, including children, mothers or fathers who stay at home, or people who worked before they were disabled, but did not pay enough into Social Security to qualify them for SSD benefits.
SSI also is income based, so if you are married and your spouse makes too much money for the Social Security guidelines you could be denied even if you are disabled.
Social Security Disability works like this: you work, you pay taxes, and you pay for Social Security.
The Social Security Administration keeps records on each individual, recording how many years they worked, how much they earned, and how many Social Security "quarters" they have worked and paid.
Once a person has qualified for SSD benefits, a Social Security record or statement will be provided to them annually.
This statement will detail how much money you could receive if you became disabled and approved for Social Security Disability benefits.
This statement also tells you your Date Last Insured often referred to as your DLI.
Q: "I would like to obtain a copy of my SSD record.
How do I do this? A: You can contact your local Social Security Administration office and ask for a copy of this statement.
You can also obtain information from your statement over the phone, like your DLI, the amount of time you are recorded as having worked, etc.
You can find your local office by calling 1 800 772 1213 or going online to the Social Security Administration website.
Q: "I have worked almost all of my life? How is it possible that I do not qualify for SSD benefits?" A: This is a situation that is different for every person.
When you pay into Social Security it is almost like when you pay for health coverage.
Insurance benefits will end after a certain time has elapsed since you last paid.
This is the same for Social Security.
If you work for 25 years and you decide to take early retirement you are now not "paying" into Social Security.
After this, you only have a certain amount of time before your Social Security Disability coverage will end.
If you find yourself in this situation, you will probably want to think about applying for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Q: "I paid good money into the Social Security system, and now it is gone! Why can't I get it back? A: This is a good argument but unfortunately this is not how Social Security works.
You do have to be found medically disabled even for SSD benefits.
Yes, you paid into the system and that is why you are able to apply for SSD benefits instead of SSI benefits.
Q: "I am already getting Social Security Disability but its not enough, I need to get more money.
" A: This is a situation that many people find themselves in, and it is a frustrating one.
Unfortunately when you are receiving Social Security Disability there is not a such thing as getting more money.
With SSD you are either approved and receiving the entire benefit available to you or you are denied and receive nothing.
There is only so much "money" in your "account" to be withdrawn.
It is similar to if you had a regular bank account that you withdrew monthly funds from, there is only so much money in that bank account and no more is being added because you are not working.
Q: "Before I went to jail, I was receiving Social Security Disability.
Why do I no longer receive my benefits? A: When a person is incarcerated, they become a ward of the state, which pays for food, board, etc.
, Because of this the Social Security Benefits are stopped and when you are released you often have to reapply for benefits.
In this situation it may be a good idea to contact an attorney or professional that is familiar with this type of situation.
Q: "How long does this process take?" A: This is different with every case.
As a general rule, pretty much every applicant will be rejected one or more times.
The entire process on average can take about 2 to 5 years.
If you have been going through this process and now you are facing a hearing it is beneficial for you to at least speak with a representative that knows the law for Social Security benefits.
Most Social Security professionals offer a free consultation, and will let you know up front whether or not they can take on your case.
Q: "My SSD application was approved, and I have been receiving benefits.
Now they tell me they paid me too much and I have to pay them back.
" A: Unfortunately, this really does happen, and is called an "overpayment case.
" If this happens to you, the first thing you need to do is speak to a lawyer who handles these kinds of Social Security cases.
If you find yourself in any of these situations and you are not sure what to do start asking questions.
Contact a local professional for a free consultation and just because one attorney does not want to take your case doesn't mean that another attorney wont.
There are attorneys that handle SSI but not SSD and there are attorneys that handle all types of situations with social security benefits.
If you do not know how to find a Social Security lawyer or who you should speak to first, there is a referral agency for lawyers who work with Social Security cases.
This organization is called NOSSCR, or the National Organization for Social Security Claimant's Representatives.
If you call them and let them know what type of social security situation it is, such as SSI benefits, an overpayment case, a cessation (where they stopped your benefits) etc, they will give you the name and number of an attorney in your area to contact.