YOUR DISABILITY BENEFITS

Disability Benefits

Disability is something most people do not like to think about. But the chances that you will become disabled probably are greater than you realize. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 3 in 10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.

For specific information about your situation, you should talk with a Social Security representative.
SSA pays disability benefits through two programs: the Social Security disability insurance program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

Who can get Social Security disability benefits?

Social Security pays benefits to people who cannot work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. Federal law requires this very strict definition of disability. While some programs give money to people with partial disability or short-term disability, Social Security does not.

Certain family members of disabled workers also can receive money from Social Security.

You must meet the earnings requirement to qualify for disability benefits.

There are two ways that you can apply for disability benefits. You can:

1. Apply at www.socialsecurity.gov; or
2. Call SSA toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to make an appointment to file a disability claim at your local Social Security office or to set up an appointment for someone to take your claim over the telephone. The disability claims interview lasts about one hour. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call the toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days. If you schedule an appointment, a Disability Starter Kit will be mailed to you. The Disability Starter Kit will help you get ready for your disability claims interview. If you apply online, the Disability Starter Kit is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.

What happens when my claim is approved?

When do my benefits start?

If your application is approved, your first Social Security disability benefits will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began.

Here is an example: If the state agency decides your disability began on January 15, your first disability benefit will be paid for the month of July. Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due, so you will receive your July benefit in August.

You also will receive What You Need To Know When You Get Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10153), which gives you important information about your benefits and tells you what changes you must report to SSA.

How much will my benefits be?

The amount of your monthly disability benefit is based on your average lifetime earnings. The Social Security Statement that you receive each year displays your lifetime earnings and provides an estimate of your disability benefit. It also includes estimates of retirement and survivors benefits that you or your family may be eligible to receive in the future.

If you do not have your Social Security Statement and would like an estimate of your disability benefit, you can request one at www.socialsecurity.gov or call the toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.

Can my family get benefits?

Certain members of your family may qualify for benefits based on your work. They include:

• Your spouse, if he or she is 62 or older;
• Your spouse, at any age if he or she is caring for a child of yours who is younger than age 16 or disabled;
• Your unmarried child, including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild or grandchild. The child must be under age 18 or under age 19 if in elementary or secondary school full time; and
• Your unmarried child, age 18 or older, if he or she has a disability that started before age 22. (The child’s disability also must meet the definition of disability for adults.)

NOTE:
In some situations, a divorced spouse may qualify for benefits based on your earnings if he or she was married to you for at least 10 years, is not currently married and is at least age 62. The money paid to a divorced spouse does not reduce your benefit or any benefits due to your current spouse or children.

How do other payments affect my benefits?

If you are getting other government benefits, the amount of your Social Security disability benefits may be affected. For more information, you should see the following:

• How Workers’ Compensation And Other Disability Payments May Affect Your Benefits (Publication No. 05-10018);
• Windfall Elimination Provision (Publication No. 05-10045); and
• Government Pension Offset (Publication No. 05-10007).

You can get these publications from the SSA website, or you can contact SSA to request them.

What do I need to tell Social Security?

If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest

You must tell them if you have an outstanding arrest warrant for:

• A crime that is a felony under the laws of the state in which you live; or
• A crime punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year in states that do not classify crimes as felonies.

You cannot receive disability benefits for any months in which there is an outstanding arrest warrant for a crime that is a felony (or a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year).

If you are convicted of a crime

Tell Social Security right away if you are convicted of a crime. Benefits generally are not paid for the months a person is confined for a crime, but any family members who are eligible for benefits based on that person’s work may continue to receive benefits.

Benefits are usually not paid to someone who commits a crime and is confined to an institution by court order and at public expense. This applies if the person has been found:

• Not guilty by reason of insanity or similar factors (such as mental disease, mental defect or mental incompetence); or
• Incompetent to stand trial.

If you violate a condition of parole or probation

You must tell them if you are violating a condition of your probation or parole imposed under federal or state law. You cannot receive disability benefits for any month in which you violate a condition of your probation or parole.

When do I get Medicare?

You will get Medicare coverage automatically after you have received disability benefits for two years.

Can I go back to work?

After you start receiving disability benefits, you may want to try working again. There are special rules that help you keep your cash benefits and Medicare while you test your ability to work. These rules are called “work incentives” or “employment support” programs.

For more information about helping you return to work, ask for Working While Disabled—How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10095). A guide to all our employment supports can be found in SSA Red Book, A Summary Guide to Employment Support for Individuals with Disabilities Under the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Programs (Publication No. 64-030). Also visit, www.socialsecurity.gov/work.

The Ticket to Work Program

Under this program, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability beneficiaries can get help with training and other services they need to go to work at no cost to them. Most beneficiaries will receive a “ticket” that they can take to a provider of their choice who can offer the kind of services they need. To learn more about this program, ask for The Ticket To Work and Self-Sufficiency Program (Publication No. 05-10061).