Social Security Disability Insurance and SSA Benefits
The federal authorities run the Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program to safeguard the interests
of disabled workers, who become incapable of working for one year or more. The
Social Security Administration (SSA) runs the program and awards cash benefits
to workers with enough work credits or in some cases to family members of workers.
The goal of the program is not to provide for the needy; rather, it works to
grant financial support to those workers who have earned enough in Social Security
covered jobs in recent years. A similar program Supplemental Security Income
(SSI), on the other hand, provides for low-income and disabled workers on a
need basis.
The SSDI program is funded by the FICA payroll taxes that are collected from
workers and employers in Social Security covered areas. FICA or Federal Insurance
Contributions Act allows for taxes to be collected from workers for benefit
to a range of Social Security benefit program like SSDI, retirement benefit,
Medicare, etc. However, not all workers pay taxes under the FICA act and hence
collect their benefits from other programs they pay taxes for.
If you’re in a job covered by Social Security, you certainly pay FICA
taxes. Your employer is liable to contribute half of your FICA taxes, while
the other half is deducted from your salary. Your employer is supposed to furnish
a report to you at the end of every year notifying you of the amount of FICA
taxes paid by you. If you’re self-employed, of course, you’ve to
pay the entire amount yourself. Your social security number allows the SSA to
keep track of your work and also the amount of taxes paid by you.
Social Security lays down specific definition of the word ‘Disability’
and your application for insurance is subject to a review. Social Security does
not pay insurance for partial disability or short-term disability, rather only
for total disability—and you’re considered disabled under the rules
laid down Social Security only if:
• You are incapable of doing the work you did before.
• You are also incapable of adjusting to other work because of your medical
condition.
• Your disability has already lasted or is expected to last at least one
year or cause death.
Also, SSA uses five basic criterions to judge whether you’re eligible
for SSDI benefits. These are:
• If you’ve worked in the current year and earned an average of
$1000 per month, then you’re not eligible.
• You must be incapable of performing your regular work-related duties.
• The SSA maintains a list of medical conditions. You must be diagnosed
with one of these or something equal in severity.
• If your condition is neither on the list nor equal in severity then
you must be incapable of doing the work you did earlier.
• If you can do any other type of work you’re ineligible for the
SSDI benefits.
Workers are expected to cover themselves against other short-term disabilities
through workers’ compensation, insurance, savings, investments, etc. Complete
information about the SSDI program and application forms can be found on the
SSA website.
