If you suffer from an injury, illness, or combination of impairments that prevents you from working in any capacity, you may be eligible for monetary benefits and health insurance from the Social Security Administration. The government offers many different programs to provide safety, security, and peace of mind to millions of disabled Americans. These programs have different rules for establishing your entitlement, but they all require that you suffer from an injury, illness, or impairment that renders you unable to perform your past work or any other work for at least one full year, or is expected to result in your death.
The two most common programs are Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB, also known as SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While the medical requirements for these programs are the same, there are important differences in the non-medical requirements. It is possible to be eligible for both programs.
SSD benefits are generally available to disabled individuals who have a solid work history and have paid Social Security (FICA) taxes for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Think of it as car insurance. In order to receive benefits due to your disability, you must be insured. In order to become insured, you have to pay your premiums, which in this case are your FICA taxes. Once you stop paying these taxes, your insurance coverage will eventually expire. The date your insurance expires is called the "date last insured" (DLI), and it is typically five (5) years after you last worked on the books. In some situations, your DLI may be significantly less than five (5) years if you did not always pay taxes or made very little earnings. You must prove that your disability began before your DLI in order to receive SSD benefits.
On the other hand, in order to receive SSI benefits, you must only meet certain income requirements. SSI is like a welfare program for the disabled. Those who have a limited work history or became disabled after the expiration of their DLI may qualify for SSI. You must generally have less than $2,000 in assets, not counting the value of your home and one (1) car. The rules for SSI can be complex and difficult to understand.
The medical requirements for both SSD and SSI are identical, in that you must suffer from an injury, illness, or impairment that renders you unable to perform your past work or any other work for at least one full year, or is expected to result in your death. However, if you do not meet the non-medical requirements for benefits under any program, you are not entitled to any benefits no matter how severe your disability may be.
As you can see, the Social Security Administration's rules and regulations are complex, varied, and confusing. You can not rely on the Social Security Administration to explain the law to you, because they are often so busy that they simply can not give you all the information you need. Furthermore, the system is designed so that 60-70% of all initial applications are denied, even when you give the government all of the information about your case that they ask for. Sometimes, it can seem like the Social Security Administration did not even try to help you.
That's why it always helps to have the experienced attorneys at Terry Katz & Associates on your side. We know what information the government wants, and we know how they process their cases. We have experience representing thousands of clients like you, so we know the Social Security Administration inside and out. Even if your case is denied, we can help you file an appeal and take your case to court to fight for the benefits you deserve.
If you can no longer work due to disability, you owe it to yourself to contact the disability lawyers at Terry Katz & Associates. We have the knowledge and experience to fight for your benefits and the compassion and empathy to care for your needs. We have a proven track record of success and have helped thousands of people just like you obtain the benefits you deserve, even if the Social Security Administration has already denied your case. There is no upfront fee and we only get paid if we win your case, so call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
