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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Baiith
I am on dialysis 3 times a week and social security denied me assistance. I told them that I had no money and no food and that I missed 3 of my dialysis treatments. I ended up in the hospital and was treated and still I have no disability benefits and was sent a bill from Medicare because I was denied by social security for disability.
Cathey S.
My husband got me a house in his name me second on title but the owner liked a few things on the inside and outside to finish the house we like about 2,000.00 to pay him for helping us move etc. but he like a rail for me to go up stairs and the porch and rails he didn’t build plus a lot of varnish around the floor and up stairs the tub in the bathroom u can see the floor in the living room down stairs the contractor that didn’t charge me because I’m really disabled I have a tumor in the stem of my brain I had nine brain strokes that cracked my brain I need some free help I don’t have money I recieve 748.00 a month SSD I’m raising my grandson it’s hard on me mice are getting in my house ants bugs please help me my name is Cathey mayfield my number is 731-694-1037 like I said I sincerely thank u and my husband got a veteran loan on this house the owner said we don’t need it inspected. Thank u again.
Ray F.
Hello Cathey. You may be eligible to receive additional assistance from the state where you live. These services include Medicaid, free meals, housekeeping help, transportation or help with other problems. You can get information about services in your area from your state or local social services office. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services web page for more information.
We hope this helps!
John D.
Hope that somebody can help me get some kind of help
John D.
Oh wow hopefully maybe some body will look and see why I have not received anything a letter or nothing from ssi when I filed in the hospital on Jan 8 2017 when I woke up from being in a coma for 24 days and then also being beat to death and left in a dumpster for dead and then this went on for also 3 hrs where I worked at and no body stopped and or even tryed to make an attempt to even try to stop it at all I was I was tied up and dragged all over. The place and then punched and kicked and all this was done by 4 people and their we’re not even any attempts and or even any arrests made for what they did to me and also the manager at the motel my old boss did not even try to stop it either but the could tell me everything that went on in deatail but then they said at the end of I guess the torture that. They did to me the hit me in the front of my for head 5 times and they said. The first 3 we’re bad but they said the last 2 were the worse then I just dropped to the ground and so from what I hear that they thought I was dead do to took my life less body and dragged it over to the store across the street where it was going to be trash pick up the next day and they said that it was like a bout a half and hr after they left they saw a hand pop up and then they said that another hand popped up and then I managed to pull my body and fell down the side of the dumpster busting my face from hitting the concrete so I was rushed to icu where I was in very critical condition and I went in to a come from December 16 2016 till Jan 8 2017 and then a few days after that I filled for SSI and. Still till this day I also am still deaf and also have trouble walking and I don’t tlrecive nothing at all no foodstamps or any kind of help any where witch I also know that all of how I have been miss treated and also neglected any kind of help at all please if you have a heart and or any kind of feelings hopefully you will get me some help and or also
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August A.
I need to know if I can find someone to help my parents fight against social security taking my disabled brothers medical help away my parents can not afford over 4,000 dollars a month for all his medication us kids don’t even have that kind of money too help and they can’t afford insurance to cover they are barely making it I don’t understand please if you know of any help please let me know he has cebral palsy severe seizure etc
ronald m.
im trying to get disable fishing license in the state of georgia.
Gay S.
Can SS help me get a vehicle
Jim L.
I’m James Lonneman and I have a disability from a car accident that caused a brain injury 45 years ago. I can do somethings a normal person can do but I will always be slow on my right side of my body. Because the injury was on my left side of my head. I work part time but I am turning 62 in August. I have a hard time living like a normal person in that my SSI ckeck is a little over 1,000 a month. I’ve seen ads on TV about how people can apply to SSI and receive 2600 a month. Why can’t I receive that much. And becomes that it cost money to put ads on TV. Which could be used people that need SSI and others on SSI can’t get that money to help them. The Government is actually trying to screw the people who have a dissability and can’t live like the rest of the country. It’s a shame that the USA can’t even pay more money for people with permanent disabilities. James (Jim) Lonneman. Please get back to me asap on the phone@(513)545-5797. Thank you. Also with the unemployment rate down the Government is getting more money and they should help people on SSI live better.