Know the Different Classifications of Disability Benefits
It can be very difficult to live with pain, injury, or harmful medical conditions, but applying for disability benefits can be helpful. You may not be able to work or support your family, and apply for disability benefits could help. If you feel you may qualify for Disability Benefits, it may be important to understand the different sections and where you may fit. Disability Benefits is broken up into two sections which are Social Security Disability Insurance (or SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income benefits (or SSI).
Social Security Disability Insurance is for people who have worked over the last few years, but have suffered an injury that stopped them from being able to continue doing their job. There are many different diseases and illnesses that fit into this section. For example, lupus, coronary artery disease, and even certain cancers all may qualify. There is a full list with levels of severity according to the Social Security Administration. A good way to check if you qualify is to determine if you have worked ten out of twenty working quarters and if you paid into social security in that time. A perk of Social Security Disability Insurance is that in certain cases, dependents of the beneficiaries can also receive payments, including children. In addition, people who aren’t citizens of the United States but have worked and paid into Social Security legally could also qualify for SSDI.
Supplemental Security Income is different in that it is for people who make a low-income, including the disabled and elderly. SSI does not allow for dependents to receive payments, as the payments are solely for the beneficiaries. People who aren’t American citizens will find that SSI benefits are much harder to get than SSDI.
In both cases, you must have certain disability requirements, and earning a certain amount of money or working hours may cause a stop to benefits. It could be important to include an attorney to help you along the way. Contact us at Franco Law Firm to learn more or schedule a free consultation, please call us at (813) 872-0929.
