US Social Security Disability

Social Security in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. U.S. Social Security is a social insurance program funded through dedicated payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA).

Tax deposits are formally entrusted to Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, or Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.

President Bush has discussed the importance of Social Security and the need to fix the Social Security system for future generations of Americans. The President has assured Americans that he will not change the Social Security system in any way for those born before 1950.

Social Security Disability:

The Social Security disability insurance program (sometimes referred to as SSDI) pays benefits to you and certain family members if you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.

A worker who has worked long enough and recently enough (based on "quarters of coverage" within the recent past) to be covered can receive disability benefits. These benefits start after five full calendar months of disability, regardless of his or her age. The eligibility formula requires a certain number of credits (based on earnings) to have been earned overall, and a certain number within the ten years immediately preceding the disability, but with more-lenient provisions for younger workers who become disabled before having had a chance to compile a long earnings history.

The worker must be unable to continue in his or her previous job and unable to adjust to other work, with age, education, and work experience taken into account; furthermore, the disability must be long-term, lasting 12 months, expected to last 12 months, resulting in death, or expected to result in death. As with the retirement benefit, the amount of the disability benefit payable depends on the worker's age and record of covered earnings.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) uses the same disability criteria as the insured social security disability program, but SSI is not based upon insurance coverage. Instead, a system of means-testing is used to determine whether the claimants' income and net worth fall below certain income and asset thresholds.

Severely disabled children may qualify for SSI. Standards for child disability are different from those for adults.

Social Security Disability Appeals:

If your Social Security Disability application has recently been denied, the Online Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the decision about your eligibility for disability benefits by submitting an online fillable form.

Helpful Links:

Find An Answer to Your US Social Security Disability Question.

Apply for Disability Benefits - (Age 18 or Over)

Adults Disabled Before Age 22 An adult disabled before age 22 may be eligible for child's benefits if a parent is deceased or starts receiving retirement or disability benefits. We consider this a "child's" benefit because it is paid on a parent's Social Security earnings record.

Further Information Regarding US Social Security Disability

Estimating Social Security Disability (SSDI) Benefits
Freedom Disability has released a new online self-assessment tool to help people who are interested in receiving disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. Users are walked through a series of 10 questions that results in an estimate of the persons' chances of receiving benefits, as well as the expected monthly cash benefits. There is no charge for use of the tool and it can be used as many times as needed.

Social Security Administration Disability Backlog Lowered
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today commended the Social Security Administration (SSA) for ending the year with fewer disability hearings pending than in the prior year for the first time since 1999.

Importance of Work History for Social Security Disability Benefits
As SSDI applications grow, claimants can benefit from understanding the role of their past employment Work history plays an important part in your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare services.

Social Security Disability Questions and Answers
A common mistake people make is waiting too long to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Newcomers to the SSDI process often have questions about the process, the length of time involved and the option of choosing representation. Allsup provides answers to some of the more common questions...

Social Security Permanent Disability Claims
Many people get perplexed in their permanent disability predicaments especially on the aspect of their pursuit for benefits, federally or statewide. This is but normal reaction, as generally, it is hard to figure out the fine points of disability rules adopted by the federal or state agencies tasked to implement disability benefits provisions.

Social Security Disability Backlog Worsens
The Social Security Disability Insurance application process is experiencing a huge crunch right now, and it's expected to last for the next couple of years. This will make it even more important for people to find out if they are likely to be eligible before they apply and for those with severe disabilities to get representation from the beginning, according to Allsup.

Understanding Social Security Statement for Disability Financial Planning
Nearly 10 years ago, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began mailing out annual Social Security statements detailing retirement and disability benefits to more than 100 million workers each year. Today, many people still don't understand their eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, according to Allsup, a leading provider of Social Security disability, financial and healthcare-related services to people with disabilities.

More Women Turning to Social Security Disability Benefits
More working mothers are becoming disabled and losing their ability to support their families. That means it's even more important for women to understand the role of Social Security disability insurance, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

Information for Social Security Disability Applicants Seeking Representation
Social Security disability applicants can see benefits when they hire a representative to help them apply, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

Strengthen Social Security Disability Program - U.S. Sen. Grassley
Senator Chuck Grassley said his survey of private insurers has found that some are needlessly contributing to the Social Security disability backlog, and he urged the Social Security Administration to recommit itself to preventing disability benefit application fraud and to work with the Inspector General to penalize and prosecute those filing false disability claims.

Social Security Delays for People With Disabilities
Peggy Hathaway, United Spinal Association's vice president for Public Policy, detailed before a joint House Ways and Means Subcommittee this week, the alarming plight of more than 1.3 million Americans with disabilities waiting for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to decide if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Social Security Disability Benefits Not Easy Even After Approval
Even after getting approval for Social Security disability benefits, people can run into hurdles before those funds start arriving, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

People with Disabilities May Miss Out on Significant Tax Savings this Season
People relying on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits may have among the lowest incomes, yet they can pay more than they should in taxes, according to Allsup, a leading provider of Social Security disability, financial and healthcare-related services to people with disabilities.

SSDI and SSI Difference
The SSDI and SSI programs are the largest of the Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. Generally, the medical requirements for disability eligibility are the same under SSDI and SSI programs, but the way these programs are funded differs.

Social Security Administration Programs - U.S.
Every qualified American worker has in some way or another have dealt with the office of Social Security Administration whether in claiming some benefits like, old age, survivors and disability insurance.

US Social Security Disability Benefits Answers
Answers to common questions regarding Social Security Disability Benefits in the United States. When Social Security tells you that you will be receiving disability benefit payments, the notice explains how much your disability benefit will be and when your payments start.

Social Security Disability Insurance Recipients to Get Extra $250
U.S. Social Security Disability Insurance recipients can look forward to receiving a one-time $250 bonus payment by early summer, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

List of Social Security Compassionate Allowance Conditions - US
Compassionate allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. Compassionate allowances will allow Social Security to quickly target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly.

Disability Payments for Back Conditions
Disabling back conditions enable a citizen to recover disability income from the Federal Government. Approximately 80% of all adults will have a serious back problem during their life. Fortunately, most of these back problems are not disabling. However, if the back condition is such that one can no longer work and earn a living, disability payments can be received from the Social Security Administration.

Applying for SSA Disability: The Significance of Residual Functional Capacity
When you apply for disability, one of the steps the Social Security Administration will use to evaluate your disability is by comparing your disabling condition to a published set of standards referred to as the Listing of Impairments. This listing is a specific description of common medical problems the SSA considers as disabling.

SSI Disability Application Tips for 2009
Disabled applicants should pay particular attention to the 2009 SSI Disability application and take additional time to ensure their application is completely filled out and all supporting medical evidence is properly submitted, advises Matt Berry and his team of Social Security attorneys at Berry & Associates.

US Social Security Disability Impairments
By law, Social Security has a strict definition of a disability. According to the Social Security Administration, to be found disabled and to receive Social Security benefits:

Social Security Disability Applications Reaches 2.6 Million
Disability applications now number 2.6 million, according to the Social Security Administration. SSA reports the time for a decision at the initial application level is 106 days. At the hearing level, where claimants seek review by an administrative law judge, the processing time is 514 days1 and now more than 765,000 people are waiting2. The federal agency does report some success in addressing the backlog, but the delays continue for hundreds of thousands of claimants.

2009 Social Security Disability Recipients Benefits Rise
With the arrival of 2009, Social Security disability recipients are seeing their monthly benefits increase with the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

Applying for Social Security Disability in 2009
Those that need to apply for Social Security disability benefits in 2009 will join a long list of applicants, some that have been waiting for two years or more to receive Social Security disability benefits. What's unique about 2009? The lines are getting longer and the number of applicants is increasing. The SSA is experiencing a bottleneck for processing disability applications.

Been Denied Social Security Disability - Now What?
Receiving a denial letter from the Social Security Administration can be devastating, but people with disabilities have the option to appeal the decision, according to Allsup, which represents tens of thousands of people in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) process each year.

U.S. State Rankings for Disability Backlogs
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, and Allsup Inc., the nation's leading Social Security disability representation company, today released state rankings based on the growing backlog in the federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.