Disability Benefits: The Numbers Tell the Story
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: September 8, 2015
Social Security provides an economic lifeline to America’s workers through our benefit programs. We run the largest disability program in the nation. We want to make sure that everyone has a clear picture of the disability insurance program and of the people living with severe disabilities, who receive its benefits.
Because the Social Security Act sets out a strict definition of disability, our beneficiaries are among the most severely disabled people in the country. We provide modest benefit payments to workers who contributed into the Social Security trust fund before becoming disabled. The average disability beneficiary today paid into the disability trust fund for 22 years before becoming entitled to Social Security disability benefits.
When disability happens, Social Security provides support for insured workers and their families. For many disabled Americans, this earned benefit is the only thing standing between them and poverty.
To create awareness about the positive economic impact of our disability program, Social Security is releasing two new online data resources — our new state disability fact sheets and our national disability issue paper. These two online resources show how Social Security continues to fulfill our intergenerational promise of support to America’s workers and their families.
The state disability fact sheets include information by state and congressional district about disabled workers, children of insured workers, and spouses of insured workers who are receiving disability benefits. They also show the average annual disability benefit in relation to the poverty threshold, as well as more specific data about the recipients in those areas.
The national disability issue paper describes the fundamental principles of our disability program, its economic impact, and how it continues to live up to its founding ideals.
We invite you to go to our website and try these useful new resources.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: Disability, social security
See CommentsAbout the Author
Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
Comments
Comments are closed.
James W.
Yet does ssdi some hard to get afterpaid 22years into system,I was beileveing in this system until ,I experience so much injustice, how can SSA not follow it own rules? It a shame how our’s due process can let people slip through and system can make you get front a judge that already not impartial at all ,how can the over rule Federal Judge ,any one settle get some benefits .it shame how they prolong instead given !y S.S.D.I.benefits after I turn 50their withold still my benefits and only S.SI.which is only 1/3,how one live on $733.00a omnth in compares to get $1800.00 that a big maybe someone need to do a interinvengate .?How you withhold people not given anything when you earn to many quarters that why you even ssi while people homeless and pennyless instead make a rule with three years may be that wolud reduced number case ,quit keep people a favor approved when you no intend release hard work wage then patenley person instead doing you job.?!
.How you withhold earn
FedUp
A course in basic spelling, grammar and punctuation would benefit you immensely.
Natalie
Fedup, you are extremely anal! Have you ever thought things out before passing judgemdnt? What if English is hie 2nd language and that’s the best that he could do. Judge ye by the contents of thy thoughts, not by the spelling of thy words.
Natalie
His*
Natalie
Judgement* (i have to correct my typos before I’m accessed of needing spelling lessons as well)
Natalie
Oh but wait, maybe it’s because google keeps changing the words i typed making a misspelling for me.
Accused*
TruthSeeker
Even I made a typo, and I am well educated, but severely disabled by a dozen medical conditions. My hands and fingers do not even work properly at times, and I was once able to type 120 words per minute. Even my piano playing is a joke now.
Mishele W.
Agreed Fedup. Yikes!!
Steven C.
social security should be safe for decades the 6 member bard get’s there yearly salary increases but yet they don’t want to give social security benefits claimants a 2016 physical year COLA increase,& we retireees lose 30% of our weekly gross wages/earnings,& the 1.5% – 1.7% Cola increase yearly isn’t enough it should be 5.0% – 7.0% annually each physical year to balance out the rise in inflation,& we shouldn’t have to pay the 20% that medicare doesn’t cover we contribute 6.2% weekly to Medicare the employer matches that 6.2 %,& we contribute weekly for 40 b- 45 years in the workplace & Medicare is drawing 6.0% – 8.0% interest on our weekly contributions & we are getting no return on our contributions/investments>? when we reire after 40 – 45 years we should have 100% paid medicare coverage with low deductibles,low copays,& not have to pay 1st 8 day’s of hospital stays or visitsSocial Security,& Medicare both need reforming with major changes in both agencies,& there’s no way that in the 3rd quarter of 2016 that Social Security Disability should be out of money/funds it has been improperly managed, & regulated the trust fund should have trillions of dollars in it,alot of people pass away before age 62 & have contributed for years,& have no survivors so that leads to a surplus in social security in all trust funds,& Medicare needs to handle all claims in house & not use 3rd party contractors,@ our expense with our yearly federal tax contributions,Medicare needs to handle claims themselves in house with no 3rd parties that have access to all our private imformation,& for our personal security.!
ELIZABETH B.
I, for one, depend on that measly percentage each year to help me for the current year’s increases. I don’t understand why everytime there needs to be a budget cut, it has to affect the elderly and disabled above everything else? A lot of recipients have to do without medications so they can meet there other obligations. This is terrible to make someone go through! Please, someone within the program go to bat for us and don’t accept that budget cut to the social security program. It is vitally important to use to live!
rgarner11
Medicare drawing interest? I wonder where this phantom 6-8% interest, supposedly, earned on our contributed f.I.c.a. monies comes from, …. That people believe is automatically earned? One would have to then lend out this f.I.c.a. fund to others, expecting a return. Isn’t this fund barely existent? … Or not at all?
Holly
I feel I shouldn’t be forced to subsidize health care when I do all I can to maintain good health, work as a health care provider and have for years, acquired an associate degree with $42k worth of student loan debt that MUST be repaid and the degree is not even useable really, while I receive excellent evaluations from work, only receiving the “MAX” 2% -3% raise on $11.88/he. All while being the single parent of ONE…did I mention I made the Deans List each of the 7 years (14semesters
Carl
I wonder why SSDI can be given to 2 and 3 yr olds who are “disabled” or “learning disabled” as per a SS Dr. examiner, get $550/mo. or more, and no one in the family has ever held a job. This is welfare, nothing less. Not to be paid back. My taxes pay for this. Now, when I want “disability” I am jumping many hoops. I am entitled as I paid. Many are not. System broken. Immigrants birth child in US and get my entitlements! This is so wrong! Needs corrected now. You pay into it, you get benefits, right? How can it be given free? Who is responsible for this policy? Please say.
eliedith
those children and families who never worked receive SSI, a welfare programme, not SSDI for disabled workers
ELIZABETH B.
You are correct. People seem to get the two mixed up all the time. SSI is a “welfare” program for those who never worked or for children. It goes through the State. Our taxes do help fund that program. People with salaries fund SSDI for themselves, if needed, when disabled before retirement age.
TruthSeeker
You are so wrong! SSI is not always for people who never worked. Some people became disabled at an early age, and did not earn enough points to receive regular social security of SSDI. Also some people worked, but their income was below the IRS reporting requirements, so they worked under the table, no dirty joke intended, and it was done legally.
FedUp
Agree.
Eric T.
Thank you for all that you do in helping the disabled. And thank you for the useful information on state and national data.
Christine M.
Thank you for my disabilty I worked very hard for these benefits. I appreciate this very much without this I wont be able to survive. Sincerely, christine gicola
FedUp
If you worked that long where’s your 401(k), your savings, investments and mortgage equity? Doubt your claim.
Syd W.
I paid SS tax for 40 years, injured my back and am on disability. I am grateful for the income they provide. What bothers me is that Washington transferred all the SS funds into the general budget and gave the SS administration an IOU. The SS fund would be fine if the politicians had not robbed the fund. Interest that could have been accumulated for this large sum of money is forever gone. The truth is, there is not one red cent in the SS fund. The benefits that are paid out is borrowed to pay us. We are all on a sinking ship with no life boats to rely on. God help us, because we are on a path of financial destruction. What comes out of Washington is nothing less than smoke and mirrors.
Bob
Come on, do you think the Social Security Trust fund(s) is a big safe full of dollar bills? Just as you may put your extra money into a US government saving bond or T-bill, the trust funds have done the same. The principal and interest is due back to SS when they cash in the Govt IOU’s just like when you cash in a savings bond. Even counting the full value of the trust funds, they are running out of money, the disability trust fund I think within a year and the old age trust fund in a couple of decades. They are not running out because the money was loaned to the government so that is a completely false statement. Both parties are to blame for not fixing it, too much of a hot button issue. Safer to get re-elected by doing nothing and that just makes the problem worse with time.
FedUp
Come 7 to 12 years all hell is going to break loose when over 50 million retirees looking to withdraw their social security benefits find zilch! That is a majority of the workforce. Raising the age isn’t going to work the chickens will come home to roost. SS disability will be broke next year in 2016. I suggest they don’t fund it with workers money. If they refund it do it with cuts or dissolution to the pensions of federal CRS retires, congressional, postal, railroad, executive & judicial branch retirees. Congressional crooks can give their pensions to social security disability.
FedUp
Vote for Trump!
FedUp N.
Trump is America’s business version of Pablo Escobar. Hardly the man I want to see next to the black box. See my earlier response to you if you haven’t already.
You need to grow up and stop complaining.
Molly
Social Security Disability is a great program. It is a safety net for workers and their families.
Lic. P.
Your work is very appreciated for all good will people
around our country, because the people with vulnerable situation needs your honest and
diary efforts in order to improve their lives.
Thanks.
Alba R.
My situation is that as a citizen of the United States and a widow who worked in schools to teach our children to believe in the laws of our country I myself find it hard to understand certain things. I became disabled in the year 1999. My SSDI is so low I just can’t live on $725.a month. But any immigrant who shows up to our shores receives over $1040. I found this out working as a volunteer for older people.
FedUp
Your words are truth!
Desert T.
Huh. Are you series? They give illegal immigrants more than citizens? I guess that’s America for you. Leaving its own people suffering and petting illegal immigrants/migrants.
KER
She didn’t say “illegal” so why did you jump there? Do you assume that there’s no such thing as a legal immigrant, in a nation whose population virtually consists solely of immigrants and their progeny?
CCB
that is exactly what is wrong with our system. If you don’t pay into the system you get more than the ones like us who pay into the system for years.
That is why you see soooo many never want to work, it would affect their benefits.
kob659
I have a white male friend – permanently injured his back at work – has a heart condition and mental illness. Has been turned down for disability and told to get a job. What a joke he has a high school education – is in his 50’s, the only job he’s had in the past 20 years is truck driver, he cannot sit or stand for more than 20 minutes – must lay down to relieve pain – talks to himself, is paranoid and delusional at times – but Doesn’t qualify? The system is broken and the those
Anna E.
When I applied, I had just become blind, was still fighting cancer, and had a seizure disorder. However, I was immediately denied. I got a lawyer and won! There are many lawyers out there who will take your friend’s case and won’t charge him unless/until he actually gets on disability and when that happens he will get backpack from the very first time he applied.
Marian
Hello Anna E.. I feel for you..I too was denied SSDI.. My question to you is…how long after you received lawyer help were you finally approved…Thank You in advance..
Holly
What does his being white have any significance?