Employees who can no longer work because of a severe disease or impairment that is anticipated to continue at least a year or cause death within a year are paid benefits every month by Social Security Disability Insurance (DI). The majority of older Americans receive retirement payments through the Social Security program. The disabled worker and dependent family members may also be paid benefits based on the disabled worker’s prior wages. However, a disabled worker must have held Social Security-covered employment to be eligible.
Many people are unaware of all their options since Social Security can be confusing and difficult to understand. These are the top things you should know about Social Security.
Who covers benefits from Disability Insurance?
Employers and employees contribute a portion of their Social Security taxes to the DI program. The Social Security retirement and survivor benefits account for 5.015 percent of the 6.2 percent, and disability insurance makes up 1.185 percent. While the total retirement and survivor benefits tax is 10.03 percent, the combined tax for disability insurance is 2.37 percent of income for 12.4 percent. Each year, the cap is changed to reflect annual increases in median wages.
Who qualifies for benefits under the DI?
Social Security has a stringent disability standard. According to Social Security law, a person must be unable to engage in any gainful work because of a disability that can be expected to cause death or that has lasted or is forecasted to last for at least 12 months.
Furthermore, the impairment or combination of impairments must be so severe that the applicant cannot only perform the work that they did previously but also cannot, given their age, level of education, and work history, perform any other kind of substantial gainful work that is available in the community.
What conditions do most DI beneficiaries suffer from?
Numerous beneficiaries suffer from several ailments. People who receive DI have a death risk of at least three times higher than other people their age. Some DI recipients have dire health diagnoses, such as cancer, emphysema, congestive heart disease, or kidney failure.
Although recipients frequently have several ailments that complicate their health, other primary diagnoses include mental illnesses and disabilities affecting their bones, muscles, and joints.
Additionally, DI beneficiaries frequently have low incomes, little education, and a history of difficult healthcare access. According to Social Security actuaries, around one-fifth of men who receive disability insurance and almost one-sixth of women die within five years after beginning to receive payments.
How can you apply for SSD benefits?
Experienced social security attorneys like the Lexington SSD lawyers know where to go for the medical documentation required to convince the SSA of your condition. Independent claimants can struggle for months to find this evidence on their own.
If your SSD case needs to be appealed, your attorney can make sure that your requests are truthfully and promptly submitted, and they can also represent you at the proceedings.