If You Have a Disability, Social Security Can Help
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: October 8, 2015
October is Disability Awareness Month. For Social Security, disability is always at the forefront of our conversations. We hear stories daily about Americans living with disabling conditions who need help from the system they contributed to during their working life. Their stories make us proud of the work we do.
Through our Faces and Facts of Disability website, we share the stories about what it means to receive disability benefits from Social Security. The site highlights some of the people who benefit from our programs. We believe that learning the facts and hearing peoples’ stories about disability allows for a better understanding of what’s perhaps the most misunderstood Social Security program.
The Social Security Act sets a very strict definition of disability. Social Security pays benefits to insured people who can’t work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. The impairment must be so severe that it renders the person unable to perform not only his or her previous work, but also any other substantial work.
Social Security doesn’t provide temporary or partial disability benefits. Because the eligibility requirements are so strict, our disability beneficiaries are among the most severely impaired people in the country. Our new online resources, the state disability fact sheets and our national disability issue paper, provide specific information about our recipients’ demographics by state and congressional district. These resources are proof of Social Security’s economic impact and benefit to our most vulnerable citizens.
Disability is something we don’t like to think about, or we may think it can’t happen to us. But the odds of becoming disabled are greater than we realize. The Social Security disability program excels in providing services to people when they need it the most.
For us, disability has faces and names — among them Larry, Kiera, Ebbie, Charlotte, Jamie, and Christine. We want to invite you to come see their faces, and learn the facts. They are truly at the heart of what we do.
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Tags: Disability, SSA
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Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Jim Borland, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
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Wilburn G.
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Brian M.
I have spina bifida myleomeningocele which is the most severe form of spina bifida and have had issues from it for the past 5 years I also have bi polar disorder,generalized anxiety and am a sufferer from depression…I got no help whatsoever from the disability people they refused to help and don’t think my condition is as bad as I’m sayin it is… I NEED HELP!!!!
Tommy W.
Hello. I have a titanium rod in my femur from a Accident 30 yrs ago. have worked 60 hrs a week on my fett for the last 27 yrs and now can barely walk. Dr told me the rod can’t be taken out and mri shows hip joint and degenerative disc disease. my employer is not going to renew my contract due to my in capacity and do not have the money for spine and hip surgery, let alone the rod that can’t be removed. I really have no other option but to apply for disability as my skills set requires me to be on my feet which is almost impossible . Does this sound like a valid disability case? so many different stories here it’s hard to tell. thank you.
Joans
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Lenny
I applied for SSD benefits in January, and just received my union disability benefits yesterday (covering the past 10 months), and a letter stating that my union disability benefits have been exhausted on 7/8/16. I submitted my union disability benefit papers to social security today. Also, my health insurance is no longer covered by my employer and union. How long will it take now before I can get SSD benefits?
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Lenny
What do you do when you submitted your disability documents from your job to Social Security several times, but cannot find it in your SSA disability claim file.
D.B.
Lenny, thanks for your question. For security purposes, we do not have access to individual’s personal records via this venue. We recommend that you contact your local office or call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 for assistance with your question.
Lenny
I applied for SSD online and submitted my work activity report to my FO (earning over $42,000), then three months later I obtained an authorized representative who had me submit a SSI application and an APPLICATION FOR CHILD’S INSURANCE BENEFITS. Will SSA consider this to be a duplicate application? and if so, Which application gets processed first? Can my original application submitted online be affected by the later applications cause by my authorized representative?
D.B.
Hi Lenny. The SSI program is a needs-based program that pays benefits to disabled individuals who have limited income and resources. If your subsequent applications meet the eligibility requirements, we will attach the applications to the first application. If the subsequent applications do not meet the requirements, we will send you written notification and continue processing the initial application.
For specific information about your claim(s), we recommend that you contact your local office or our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, for assistance.
Lenny
Should the claim number from my initial online application match the claim number on the Disability Determination Explanation?
Lenny
How does SSA handle duplicate applications? For example: I applied for SSD online and submitted a work activity report a week later, then I obtained an authorized representative who had me submit a SSI and an APPLICATION FOR CHILD’S INSURANCE BENEFITS. What will happen to my original application/claim? Does the later applications have any bearing on my initial claim?
D.B.
Hello Lenny. We will review your subsequent applications to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements. If they meet the requirements, we will attach the applications to the original application. If the subsequent applications do not meet the requirements, we will send you written notification.
Lenny
Is it possible to get denied for SSI and still be approved for SSD (which was my original claim), and which notice of decision should I expect to receive first, the denial or the approval?
R.F.
Hello Lenny. Great question. Social Security pays disability benefits through two programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The SSI program is a needs-based program that pays benefits to disabled individuals who have limited income and resources. SSDI benefits, on the other hand, are based on your prior earnings. It is possible that your application for SSI benefits can be denied if you exceed the resources and income limits. If this is the case, you should receive a non-medical “technical” denial for your SSI claim while the SSDI claim proceeds to get a medical decision. We will forward your SSDI claim to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) for a medical review. You will receive a separate notice with a medical determination at a later time. Please visit our “Frequently Asked Questions” web page on disability, for more information.