Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits

SSDI pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are injured and otherwise qualify for the benefits. To qualify, you must have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.

Many of us do not worry about becoming disabled, but studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 3-in-10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age. Therefore, it is important for most of us to have a safety net in case we become disabled. Social Security is one such net; disability insurance from private insurance companies is another.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits

SSI is designed to help aged, blind and disabled people who have little or no income. It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter.

Eligibility requirements

To get disability insurance, you must have worked in jobs where you paid social security taxes and have a medical condition that meets the government requirements. In general, you can get monthly cash payments if you cannot work for one year or more because of a disability.

Whether you can get SSI depends on where you live, your income and the things you own. To learn more about the exact requirements, see the government’s rules for getting SSI or contact a lawyer who can help you through what many people consider to be complicated government rules.

Termination of benefits

Disability insurance payments will usually continue until you are able to work again on a regular basis. Other rules called “work incentives” provide other cash and health care benefits to help you go back to work. If you receive social security disability benefits when you reach retirement age, they will automatically change to retirement benefits, but the amount will be the same.

SSI payments will be stopped if you earn more than a certain monthly amount.

How to apply for benefits

Fill out an application on the Social Security website, call the Social Security office at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778), or contact a social security attorney.