Social Security Disability Benefits

Being approved to receive Social Security Income (SSI for short), is not the end of the journey. In fact, in many ways, it is the beginning of a long relationship with Social Security; one that lasts as long as your disability lasts. As such, it is important to know what to expect from your Social Security office as an SSI recipient.

One thing that you may expect is constant review of your disability and the situation surrounding your disability. These periodic reviews are called Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR), and are done in order to ensure continued eligibility for SSI benefits. The law mandates Social Security to conduct these reviews every three years. However, if your disability is such that recovery is expected before three years, then your CDR may be scheduled at an earlier time deemed appropriate by the Social Security representative in charge of your case. If your disability is permanent then your CDR may not be scheduled as frequently as the regular CDRs.

Apart from reviewing the status of your disability there are other elements of your claim that are also reviewed by Social Security in order to establish your continued eligibility. This includes a review of your income, resources and living arrangements through a process called Redetermination. Redetermination assists the Social Security office in determining if your benefit payment is too high or too low, based on the change in your circumstances. As such, being selected to go through the process of redetermination is not necessarily a bad thing, as your benefits may be increased as a result.

If you have been selected for a Continuing Disability Review, or for Redetermination, you must ensure that you can provide your representative with the requisite documents needed to establish continuing need. Therefore, for a CDR you must ensure that you have current medical reports that will provide evidence that your disability has not improved. If selected for Redetermination then you must equip yourself with copies of your bank statements and savings or checking accounts. You also need to provide copies of your income such as pay stubs and income tax receipts. You may also be asked to provide documentation for other resources that you own, as well as any household bills you are required to pay.

Though it may sound overwhelming the process is quite straightforward, and may be conducted in office, by mail or over the phone.

If you are filing for Social Security Disability, you may be wondering how much you will receive. It is largely based on how much you have earned in the past that have been subjected to FICA taxes.

Usually someone who files has to work at least 5 years during the last 10 years. Under the age of 31? Don’t worry – the requirements are a little different since you haven’t been in the workforce as long. If you have been in the workforce for a while, the Social Security Administration calculates benefits based on an average of the highest-yielding 35 years of your working career or all of your working years if you have not yet worked that long. The current maximum monthly benefit an individual can receive is $2,000. The maximum a family can receive is about $3,400 a month.

If you have become disabled and cannot work, then you may need to calculate how much your disability payments may be. You can do this from the comfort of your own home without waiting at your local Social Security office.
The best place to begin is by visiting the Social Security Administration’s website and find the calculator for disability benefits. The calculator is useful for showing you the amount of benefits you could get monthly.

All one has to do is input all data into the calculator. You will need to have the yearly salary that you have received during your working career. This information can be found on your Social Security statement, which lists your yearly earnings under the heading of Your Taxed Social Security Earnings. Also input data relating to your date of birth, retirement age and future earnings. This information should provide your calculation of benefits.

Even if you haven’t become disabled, you might want to determine how much you could receive in the event that you are unable to work. The Social Security Administration reports that a 20-year-old worker has a 3-in-10 chance of becoming disabled before even reaching the age when he or she can retire.
If you need additional help, you can also contact your local Social Security office for assistance as well.

The date is set, the invitations have been sent out, and you’ve picked out the cake together. However, if you are about to walk down the aisle to say “I do” to your loved one, you should look into if you also have to report your marriage to the Social Security Administration.

If you are currently receiving Social Security Disability benefits, you may need to report that you are married. The following are how marriage may affect your benefits:

• If you are receiving disability benefits on your own record, you have nothing to worry about. Payments will continue as scheduled and you also do not need to report your marriage. If you are changing your name, make sure that you do report that so your new moniker will appear on checks.

• If you are a disabled widow or widower, you will need to report a name change. Your payments will continue. Also, if your current spouse dies, you could receive higher benefits based on his or her work record.

• If you were disabled before age 22 and are receiving benefits on a Social Security record of a parent or grandparent, report your marriage. Unless if you marry someone who is receiving certain types of Social Security benefits, your payments will end. The payments cannot be started again unless if you divorce your spouse.

• If you are a child of someone who is receiving disability benefits, report your marriage immediately. Benefits end when the child marries.

Remember that Social Security Disability is based on one individual and their ability to work. If both husband and wife receive Social Security Disability, neither one can affect each other’s benefits they receive.

Before the big wedding day, make sure to schedule an appointment at your local Social Security office and bring along your significant other. It would not hurt to discuss any current benefits one (or both) of you receives and how a marriage might affect it. This might even be something important to discuss before you decide on getting engaged.

For those who work and receive Social Security Income because of a disability, you may find yourself feeling stressed at tax time if your provisional income requires that you pay income taxes on a portion of your benefits. However, for those who meet certain income guidelines, you may qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. The income guidelines vary depending on if you are married or single, how much money you made and what resources you may have. Single tax filers can receive $457 if they earned less than $13,440 in 2009. The income level for married filers is $18,440. To receive the EITC, you must be between the ages of 25 and 65 and have an investment income of less than $3,100. The maximum credit a person can receive is $5,657 if you have three or more children that live in your home. You have to file a tax return to receive the EITC. You can take a survey to determine if you qualify at: http://apps.irs.gov/app/eitc2009

Many people are afraid to apply because they think it will affect their Social Security Income or other benefits they receive. The EITC does not affect a person’s eligibility for Medicaid, food stamps or veteran’s benefits since the refund does not count as income. If you receive Social Security income for a disability, the refund is excluded from the resource test for nine months after you receive the benefit. Resources are additional income you may receive that could affect the amount of your benefit.

If you are disabled and cannot work, can you afford to wait nearly two years before receiving your Social Security income? This is what is happening to those who are applying for benefits with the Social Security Administration in Kansas City and were initially denied. The Kansas Star is reporting that the average wait time for a decision from an Administrative Law Judge is 604 days. That does not include the time it took to be denied the first time and denied when the claim was reconsidered. Many people wait 825 days or longer.

Receiving Social Security income is a tough battle even without the wait. In 2009, 2.5 million people applied for Social Security benefits and two-thirds were turned down. When the agency’s fiscal year ended in September 2009, 722,822 people were still waiting to hear if they would receive Social Security benefits. Of those that did appeal in Kansas City, four out of 10 were denied by an Administrative Law Judge. The next recourse for those who are denied is the Appeals Council, which can choose not to review the case. If this happens, the applicant can file in U.S. District Court. During this time, the applicant is likely struggling to pay their bills if they cannot work.

The wait time for a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge is blamed on budget cuts which resulted in a reduction in staff. Last year, President Barack Obama signed a bill that will add 950 administrative law judges and an addition 950 support workers at Social Security offices across the nation to help expedite the hearing process.

If you need to apply for Social Security Income, you may want to look into working with an advocate who can assist you with filing your claim and potential appeals.

Before you apply for Social Security income and after you are receiving benefits you need to continue receiving medical treatment. But many people feel they don’t have the money to visit doctors. This can keep you from getting benefits now and strip you of your benefits later.

If you don’t have a report from your doctor detailing your condition, expect to be denied Social Security disability income on your first try. If you are lucky enough to get a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, don’t expect him or her to listen to your excuses for not seeing a doctor. Even if you don’t have money, you likely have a community health department or a clinic that provides health care for a low cost. Some states have programs to help low-income residents with health insurance.

After you are approved for benefits, you will need to continue seeing a doctor about your condition. The Social Security Administration will review your situation from time to time. You will need to prove that you are unable to work and still need benefits. If you are receiving Social Security income, you are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid which will help offset your medical expenses. Make sure you keep all of your appointments with your doctor so that you won’t run the risk of being denied you benefits during a review because you can’t prove you are still disabled. Then you will have no income to support yourself and your health will deteriorate.

After you begin receiving Social Security income, don’t think you are finished appearing before administrators. Everyone has their benefits reviewed. And if you can’t prove that you are still unable to work or if your condition has improved, you may be denied your benefits.

The time of your review will depend on the severity of your condition. If you are temporarily disabled and are expected to improve, expect to be informed of a review for six to 18 months. Expect a review in three years if it is believed that you could improve. However, if you suffer from a disease with no real prospects of recovery, you will face a review five to seven years.

The review process begins when you receive a letter from the Social Security Office. After you receive the letter, you will have to provide records of your medical treatment. If you have worked at all, you will be required to provide those records. Your file is reviewed by a disability examiner and a doctor. Don’t be surprised if you are required to see a doctor and maybe take some test. If the Social Security Administration requires an examination, they will it and for your transportation.

If you are denied benefits, you can appeal. The appeals process is the same as if you appealed when you initially filed for benefits. You will first go through the Reconsideration process where your application is reviews by administrators. If you are denied there, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. If the judge and Appeals council deny your claim, you can file an appeal in U.S. District Court. If you don’t appeal, your benefits end in three months.

Supplemental Security Income is a program from the Social Security Administration that helps those 65 and older, visually impaired, or with little or no income get extra funds to help pay for food, clothes and housing.

If qualified, Supplemental Security Income allows one to receive at least $674 monthly. Several states give additional supplemental income. Some states also allow recipients to also receive medical assistance, food stamps and Section 8 housing.

The program reviews how much income and what resources one has when applying. The limit on income depends on the state one resides in. It also includes how many people live in the home with the person. Resources include money or anything that can be sold such as art, investments or properties. The limit for resources is capped at $2,000 for single applicants.

The cap is at $3,000 for those who are married; it does not matter if a spouse is eligible for the income. Individuals are allowed to continue working while getting benefits.