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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nick
i haven’t been able to hold a job for 18yrs due to ptsd/texas crime victim what should i do
Lee
Hi, I am concerned, I just had a review and told the truth about everything, now because one of my daughter’s had me add my name on to one of her purchased by her home, my benefits are about to stop. I don’t understand, I told the reviewer, that I am not associated with that property in no way what so ever and he says that it’s the law! Well, is it the law to stop the only income source that is required to live? What can I do to keep my benefits? Without it, I’ll have nothing but the shell of a home (which I did purchase with my back pay and live in). By the way, The only reason I added my name on my daughter’s property is because I was homeless and she promised to allow me to stay in the home for a year. Which by the way, never happen. I was homeless from 2013 to 2014, again at 2015 to 2016 which is when I was able to purchase my home.
Mr. J.
Do you need a loan? You can get your problem solve today when you inform her about your situation she will help you with the loan to get out of your bad situation, contact: joanfelchloanhome@gmail.com
bob b.
here I am again and it looks like i will get a lawer and trie for disability , but trump is in office in about 3 weeks and social security and disability may be a thing of the past ….
like decency and compassion , all gone in russia disabled and mental ill dissapear ! thats how trump will deal with me! and 30 milllion others suddenly heath care will end! I will have no medicine and then what? just as I get answers !
Debra
How can one get health insurance while in college and has a disability. My daughters boyfriend was born with only one hand and has overcome lots of obstacles. Will be doing his internship this spring in accounting and will graduate in May. An exceptional student, but when sick, will not go to the dr. Because he has no insurance? Anyone know of a program for him? Both parents are deceiced.
bob b.
yes i agree with the poeple who say social security is a joke , I have tryied to work all my life but haqve had a condition that prevents me I am fine sometimes but latley, im fine once a month for a while then back to finders and toes come apart extreme pain in my flank I get x rays blood test and the whole bit they keep saying we cant see anything wrong with you the pain in your joints , old age the stomach pains Ibs the eye problems you arent going blind a little cataracts and retinal detach ment thats all you can still see a little your good the kidney stones are in one place and thats not a problem oh and the adreanl tumor dosent seem to bee active its not the problem your collapsed lung is fine your oxegen is 98 your heart is fine a little stops now and again no problem alittle asprin and you can leave the hospital after 5 days of tests we dont see anything wrong with you stop wasting tax payers money …the social security office also lost all my records …so they went with the backup the one where my new doc last year said bob has somatic complaints of partial paralisis and blindness intermittent and is a frequnent er pateint and needs to be evauated for opiate dependantcy so I went throught more tests piss tests and they determined i was on opiates and acoloh oh wait we mixed up yopu test !
IM ALERGIC TO BOZZE AND DRUGS!
theres no way! suddenly i was told i have missed 3 appionments on the same day i was in the hospital with another attack of so called anxiety
oh and somatic crap ! it means im a faker in laymans terms for what? attention i cant speak about ti to anyone !
if I tell my boss of I cant worjk the sun is out and i puke the first sunny day all day or and my hands will come aprt tommorw ! oh or that when i have this problem my pee turns purple ! recenly 2 weeks ago i started extreme reactionds to the sun and stopped breathing ! now i have a diagnosis porphyria ! hahaha !
I was right it all was related and every time i went to the hospital they took blood for tests and gave me glucose for dehydration that saved me even as doctors told me dont keep going to the er ! noe i have damage to my kidneys lung heart and brain I have nump legs and arms on an off and one day will need a resperator ! but then oh yeah im afaked and wil not get social security in time for any help if next year any of us are alive ! its so fair and legal ! I have been leid to all my life this disease it easy to diagnose but I have the label hypochondriact
and was ignored even when i was a young kid I was ccalled a snezzer and wheezer and was told it was acute idiopathic chidhood atrhritis and had asprin thearapy whith cased a largebleed and put me in remission for a few years I would have cuts appear and open and bled profusely and was accused of doing it to myself! and put on terrible anti seizure and anti depressants that almost killed me ! its so very fair now im 57 and cant work have about 40 dollars to my name just paid bills so i wont be homeless for christmas onca again I have been denide for 30 years social security evertime without even a hearing without a doctore=seeing me and now im told my appeal was denied I once had a facilatator she was also useless
social security needs a new name social …insecurity
why is this ? I personamly know drug addicts and drunks who get approved first time no lawer
I now have a lawyer
bob b.
I still have trouble I was in the er and stopped breathing nothing was done and i was treated like a cronic complainer
pushed out into the lobby in a wheel chair
Lee M.
My best friend tried to get disability for COPD and variety of heart issues. He had to hire a lawyer, still turned down. He tried to work, suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 58. This Vietnam vet should have been treated better. Is the average time to receive approval really 5 years? Is it your goal to save money by hoping many will die during the five year wait?
R.F.
We are sorry for the loss of your best friend Lee. The length of time it takes to process a disability claim and to receive a decision on that claim, can vary depending on several factors. Primarily, the nature of your disability, how quickly we obtain medical evidence from your doctor or other medical sources, and if your claim is randomly selected for a quality assurance review of the decision. See our Disability Determination Process web page for more information.
SS
I had a stroke in 2011, MRI showed I had multiple sclerosis, but was not told by the doctor. I had another stroke in 2015, and they finally said I might have ms, because the MRI in 2011 and 2015 showed numerous new active lesions. Started seeing neurologist. Finally diagnosed with MS after not knowing for 4 yrs I had it.
I worked as an RN in the ED 21 years. I had to stop working due to my ms symptoms, memory loss,unable to remember my passwords to computers for charting, my colleagues thought something was wrong with me. After passing out at work, falling calling hand surgery, memory loss problems, numb extremities when you least expect it,. Calling in sick all the time because my ms would cause severe eye pain with headache and vertigo, I almost got fired. Finally in January 2015, when I couldn’t remember a simple task I had done for 21 yrs I quit that night after my shift.
Ms affects people differently. We may look ok from the outside, but on the inside, it’s a living nightmare. I’ve told my family many times I would rather have cancer than to struggle daily with this horrible disease.
Numbness tingling in extremities foot completely numb to where I can’t walk until it wakes up, severe fatigue, sweating daily dripping from body, balance issues, eye problems, blurred vision vision loss in one eye at anytime, not remembering how to spell a simple word, incontinent at work all night I finally left work, embarrassing, to anxiety, hi problems not to mention hair falling out due to ms drug symptoms, not driving due to concentration problems, I can’t work, hardly take showers because I have to take a nap afterwards because it wears me out. All of the above, add on 4 herniated lower discs, currently being treated, unable to climb stairs, can’t run anymore, fall down or legs give out, walking at Kroger one day, right leg quits working, falling reinjury to rt thumb after surgery.
Yep, it’s all happened. Ran red light due to concentration problems, family drives me everwhere.
So I applied for disability, for multiple sclerosis, and was DENIED!!!!!
I can’t remember birthdays sometimes, passwords, can climb stairs walking 50 feet feels like I ran a marathon and literally fall to the floor before you pass out. But I was denied disability benefits. Worked in medical field since 18, RN in the ER for 21 years full-time constantly 12 hour shifts.
I can’t work and i know it, but what does it take for social security administration to approve my disability is real.
I have seen my whole life people disabled for back pain, stress, lupus, fibromyalgia, headaches, depression, PTSD which I do have working with trauma every night for 21 years.
But the SS department can’t find me as being disabled. When I can’t remember a password, simple tasks like walking, driving, performing RN tasks I’ve done for 21 yrs, what other proof do I need.
I know the medical profession very well. I have seen the disabilities of people who walk, laugh, talk on cell phones, able to talk without stopping, running, griping all while in the ED for medical reasons. but for me trying to figure out which word I wanted to use or forget a conversation I was talking about and stop in the middle because I. completely forget what the conversation, I think it’s time to reassess disability benefits and approvals and denials
With all my ms symptoms above you would think I would get approval for disability! Not a chance. Maybe a second time approval? NO YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND YOUR MS IS not that disabling, so you CAN WORK. Yet while writing this my left hand went completely numb. It aggregates me that I’ve worked so hard for so long working 6 days a week12 hour night shifts working at 3 different hospitals, one would think I’ve paid in enough SS.
I am very angry about how we are just numbers at the SS department. How can you qualify a person able to work through a phone call. Medical records sure. But they state test results.
MS has no cure. I’m only going to get worse. I feel the ss administration doesn’t understand multiple sclerosis symptoms and the horrible effects it has on everyone with it. I would rather have cancer than suffer this way.
I’m finally getting an attorney to help me with my appeal. I just wanted to rant about how I was denied disability benefits for my ms disease and angry when I hear stories of people getting approval for back pain, headaches but can’t seem to approve people diagnosed with MS. I wish you could live in my body just one day, then I bet you would understand.
Lauren
hi SS, I am just starting the process of SSDI for PPMS. It’s scary to say the least. I worked as an accountant for 40 years, 35 of them with the same company. I just couldn’t do it anymore, blurred vision, memory issues, balance and walking problems, medicine reactions. I’m wondering did you get your SSDI?
Allan F.
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Big H.
My father came here in america when he was 70 yrs old,he worked for 7yrs, and he contributed in his social security for 6-7yrs, Right now he has SSI, if he wants to go home to the country where he came from, can he bring his SSI then. I hope you can help him. He is old he wants to see my siblings.
R.F.
The Supplemental Security Income or SSI program is a needs-based program that pays benefits to disabled adults and children, and the elderly (65 and older); who have limited income and resources. Generally, SSI payments cannot be made to individuals who are absent from the country for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more. SSI recipients traveling outside the U.S. for an extended amount of time, need to tell Social Security the date they plan to leave and the date they plan to come back. Then we can let them know whether their SSI payments will be affected. See REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES.