If you become disabled after working for a number of years and paying self-employment taxes (SECA) or Social Security taxes (FICA), you may be eligible for disability insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). A payroll tax-funded insurance program, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to employees who become disabled and are unable to work.
Only employees who are deemed completely disabled by Social Security are eligible for SSDI benefits. Workers with short-term disabilities or those who are partially impaired are not eligible for SSDI benefits. Social Security makes the assumption that people have other sources of income, such as savings, private insurance, workers' compensation, or family, to support them during short-term incapacity.
You can determine if you are eligible for SSDI benefits with the assistance of a Social Security lawyer. Get up to $3,822 a month and 12 months of back pay by pre-qualifying in 60 seconds. To assist us in determining your eligibility, kindly respond to a few questions.
Which SSDI Benefits Are Available to You?
Eligible handicapped workers and their families get SSDI, a monetary benefit. Your monthly SSDI payment amount will be determined by your prior wages if you qualify. The range of your SSDI monthly benefit amount is $100 to $3,822 (in 2024). Individual disability benefits average $1,537 per month, with the majority of SSDI recipients receiving between $800 and $1,800.
Even while SSDI isn't an income-based program, receiving temporary state disability or workers' compensation benefits concurrently may lower the amount of your disability award. However, your SSDI benefit amount will not be diminished if you receive veterans' benefits, private disability insurance payments, or SSI (Supplemental Security Income).
In addition to monthly cash payments, if you are eligible for SSDI, you can also receive Medicare health benefits (after two years). Your spouse and any dependents may also be eligible for SSDI compensation. Find out more about your family's eligibility for SSDI compensation.
Social Security Eligibility Incapacity
You must be disabled and have worked for a specific number of years in positions where you paid Social Security taxes in order to be eligible for the SSDI program. In particular, you must have a medical condition that currently prevents you from working and have accrued a specific number of work credits in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits.
What is the required number of Social Security Work Credits?
For every $1,730 you make annually in 2024, you will receive one work credit. The amount only includes earnings on which you paid Social Security taxes. Up to four work credits can be earned annually. The age at which you become handicapped determines how many work credits you must have in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits.
Suppose you become crippled at the age of fifty. To be eligible for SSDI benefits, you would then need to have worked for seven years or earn 28 work credits. You would also need to have worked during at least five of those years in the previous ten years. Find out more about SSDI's financial and legal criteria.
You can qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you have limited income and assets and haven't worked long enough to become disabled.
SSDI Benefits Medical Eligibility
Social Security will assess whether you are medically eligible for disability after determining that you have sufficient work credits. You must have a medical condition that satisfies Social Security's definition of disability in order to be eligible for SSDI compensation through Puerto Rico Disability.
Your disability must be one of the following in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits:
Severe: Your illness must seriously impair your ability to perform daily tasks such as walking, standing, lifting, or remembering.
Long-term: Your illness has persisted for at least a year or is anticipated to continue until you pass away.
Total: For a minimum of one year, you are unable to engage in "substantial gainful activity" (SGA).
If your income exceeds the SGA limit ($1,550 per month in 2024 for handicapped applicants, $2,590 for blind applicants), you may not be eligible for SSDI even if you are still employed. Social Security will not consider you incapacitated enough to receive SSDI benefits if it determines that you are engaging in "SGA."
How a Qualifying Disability Is Determined by Social Security
Other government agencies and private insurance plans have different definitions of disability than the Social Security Administration. The Social Security definition of disabled can only be satisfied in two ways:
fulfill the prerequisites for a formal medical listing: The list of impairments that the Social Security Administration deems serious enough to prevent you from working is known as the Social Security Blue Book, or "Disability Evaluation Under Social Security." The medical requirements you must fulfill in order to be automatically eligible for disability benefits are outlined in each medical listing.
Show that you are unable to perform any type of full-time work due to your disability: To determine if your condition "equals a listing" or satisfies the standards for a listing, Social Security will first review your medical records. If it occurs, you will be eligible for benefits since the SSA will deem you disabled. You may still be eligible for SSDI compensation if not.
Fulfilling a Medical Listing
To determine if your condition "equals a listing" or satisfies the standards for a listing, Social Security will first review your medical records. If it occurs, you will be eligible for benefits since the SSA will deem you disabled. You may still be eligible for SSDI compensation if not.
Assess Your Eligibility
Start by pre-qualifying in as little as 60 seconds to see if you are eligible for SSDI benefits. Through this process, you can find out if you qualify for 12 months of back pay and up to $3,822 each month. You can learn more about your eligibility for SSDI compensation by responding to a few easy questions.
