Social Security Disability Insurance : A boon for people with disabilities

Dec. 15, 2009 - PRLog -- This is a government program which is funded through dedicated payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). FICA is a federal law which requires employers to withhold a portion of employee wages and pay them to the government trust fund which provides retirement benefits. The amount of FICA taxes ((Social Security and Medicare taxes) that is paid into the system directly affects the amount the employee will be entitled to upon retirement.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): Social Security Disability Insurance is part of the Federal Social Security program that provides monthly disability payments to those who are younger than full retirement age, unable to engage in substantial employment activities and have enough quarters of work credit to qualify for benefits.

This program provides monthly benefit for people who have worked in the past and paid sufficient Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes on their earnings to meet certain insured status requirements. SSDI benefits are paid to people who are unable to work for a year or more because of their disability. As Social Security pays only for total disability, in order to obtain the SSDI benefits, you have to undergo the application process, interview and other processes to finally become a beneficiary. SSDI is intended to be provided until their condition improves, and is intended to guarantee income if the individual's condition does not improve. SSDI is a social insurance program, and benefits are only granted after a lengthy determination process, whereby the applicant must prove that they are disabled.

The benefits of Social Security disability are paid until age 65. When you reach age 65, your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount remains the same. Payments begin for the sixth month of your total disability, and are equal to the amount that would be payable if you were age 65 at the time of your disability. Spouses and children of SSDI recipients may also be eligible for cash benefits.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Supplemental Security Income is a federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues, not by Social Security taxes like the Social Security disability insurance program. Instituted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), this social benefit program is especially designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income to meet the fundamental needs of life like housing, food and clothing. While non-medical eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance is based on prior work under Social Security, SSI disability payments are based on income and resource specifications. In many cases eligibility for SSI disability may allow you to access additional federal and state benefits including Medicaid, food stamps and social services.

To qualify for either program, a claimant must prove to the Social Security Administration that he or she is disabled under the Social Security Administration’s rules. You are disabled if you cannot do work that you did before, and your disability is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death. Also Social Security finds a claimant disabled only when the claimant proves that they are not capable of doing substantial, gainful employment. Payments to the disabled person are determined based on the level of disability as well as need.

For more information about Social Security disability Please visit : http://socialsecuritydisabilityhelp.info/