SSDI: it’s not quick or easy, but can be crucial
The head of a nonprofit human services organization recently penned an article on what to do after a serious injury or illness prevents a person from working. For many people in that situation, there are not only the serious medical issues to deal with, but also the questions of how to pay everyday bills that keep a roof over their head and food on their table.
For needed financial assistance, many turn to the federal government’s most useful program for workers who have a disability. However, as the writer of the article notes, “unfortunately, there’s nothing quick and easy about Social Security Disability Insurance.”
She adds that the Social Security Administration makes benefit approval difficult: last year, only one out of three applicants were approved. Many who get a rejection letter from the SSA simply give up on the process, perhaps not understanding that an appeal can be made with the assistance of an SSDI attorney.
The article notes that applicants must be younger than retirement age, meet the Social Security work credits requirement, have a medical condition that prevents the applicant from working at least a year and cannot earn more than $1,070 per month.
Benefits are determined by an applicant’s average lifetime earnings. The maximum monthly amount this year is $2,642, however the average benefit is $1,148.
In some cases, spouses and children are also eligible to receive benefits based on the SSDI amount the claimant gets.
Perhaps the best bit of advice given in the article is that if you believe you qualify, you should not delay applying for needed and deserved assistance.
Source: Source: The Huffington Post, “Who Qualifies for Social Security Disability Benefits?” Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, June 24, 2014
