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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Anxious 2.
Apparently, whomever denied me thinks I not disabled even though I have provided documentation on my SEVERE anxiety, agoraphobia, and PTSD following a car accident. Shame on me for not filing immediately after the accident and trying to get my life back together. I went back to school, taking some on-line classes, and did well. One of the denial letters states that as a reason for denial. Heaven forbid an anxious person gets educated! I often wonder if I should just kill myself because I can not get a job with this level of anxiety. No one will hire me because I am so anxious that I burst into tears even during a phone interview. I can not cope with the general public. I truly hate people. Thank you, SSA, for proving that I should have died in that wreck because this so-called life sucks!
Linda N.
I am currently on dialysis, I have been receiving disability off an on since 2005. As of recent I started receiving benefits again in July 2014. As Jan 1, 2015 my benefits stopped stating I was gainfully employed. I have not worked since Sep 2013, I was terminated with benefits in Dec 2015. I have appealed providing proof I have not worked since 2013. I’m am still being denied benefits due to gainful employment. I’m am in the process of requesting a hearing with the admistrative law judge. I can not find a lawyer to take my case, this is my last appeal, I don’t know what else to do to prove I’m not working. Am I missing something?
william c.
I’m 58 years old my SSDI is $1353.00 every month when I turn 65 years old how much will my SSDI be.
Ray F.
Hi William. When you receive disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, we will automatically convert your disability benefits to retirement benefits, when you attain your Full Retirement Age. The benefit amount will generally remain the same.
Sophia
The problem is that a great number of people do not fully understand what benefits they are entitled to, or even that they are entitled to any benefits at all. It is essential that this kind of publicity continues so that more people see how they can claim – and realise that they should claim. While many people are getting the disability benefits they deserve and this makes a big difference to their lives, others could also be getting the same. But you got to take some responsibility for yourself and find out.
bob
I have been disabled for many years and have been denied everytime with not one doctor or person asking what was wrong
I am now haveing very bad symptoms and I am one prednisone indefinatley they think I may have MCTD
and I have no one dime to my name now and cant work cant get social security my only hope is that I can die quick
when i was 21 I had many seizures and was told that I didnt have epilepsy and so I was denied then I stopped drinking and they went away then in 2009 I collapsed a lung and was told that my ilnees wouldnt last a year denied and then 5 years later all my hair fell out and I had buterfly rashes that were diagnosed as exzema
denied again said it was anxiety disorder
then I had all the sypmtoms of lupus but when I pionted that out my diagnosis became somatiziing disorder even when I had a stroke I was told No! we dont see an evidence of that ! recently after being told a year solid that my arm was frozen due to anxiety was diagnosesd with frozen shoulder and raynaulds oh and dont forget the kidney stones and the fact I have timors in my kidney and pancrease and my adreal gland witch im told are all benighn hhahaha all the way to the grave they will keep lying so I wont get a dime ! I t should be against the law! why are the cops and doctors allowed to kill and be not held accountable is it they are to big to fail?
bob
I keep hearing that but I dont really believe it any more its a lie social security its only for rich people who have worked jobs that made enough money ,
April
If someone is 65 and disabled l, can they collect their parents Social Security?
Ray F.
Hello April, only a “Disabled Adult Child” can qualify to receive Social Security benefits under his or her parents’ record. An adult disabled before age 22 may be eligible for child’s benefits if a parent is deceased or starts receiving retirement or disability benefits. We consider this a “child’s” benefit because it is paid on a parent’s Social Security earnings record.
Timothy R.
My wife I believe has a special case for Social Security Disability Insurance, but I’m not positive, so can you help. First my wife has Lupus with Chronic Lung Disease which started while serving in the Military. She filed for social security benefits twice approximately 5 years ago but was denied because she did not have her rating for service connected disability approved at that time, but it was filed. Well last week after a 9 year fight with the VA, she was finally found 100% service connected which went back to 2007 for Lupus. She had left her California State job due to her Lupus in 2005 and has the paper work from that time which stated she could no longer perform her duties du to the Lupus back then. She applied for Social Security like I said in about 2010 but was denied I believe because the VA had denied her claim in 2008, and she had been on appeal from then until last week when after 9 years she finally received her service connection going back to 2007, March, her initial submission date of her VA claim.
Since that has now happened can she file a new claim with Social Security going back to her initial filing date with them, under special circumstances due to now having the proof of her disability date going back to 2007, and now having 4 separate letters from Doctor Specialist stating that her illness with Lupus goes back to approximately 1993 when she was discharged, but had already seen doctors for symptoms that were now proven to be related to her Lupus?
I hope it is understandable. Thank you in advance for your help.
Ray F.
First of all, we want to thank your wife for her service to our country. Please keep in mind that the Social Security Act sets out a very strict definition of disability, much different than the requirements for other government programs including veterans benefits. Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or short-term disability. Disability benefits are paid to people who are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last one year or more or to end in death. Your wife can apply for Disability Benefits again. We will evaluate her claim with consideration to her alleged date of disability and the date she became disabled under our rules. For further assistance contact your local field office. Or, you can call our toll free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask to speak with one of our representatives, who are available Monday through Friday between 7:00am and 7:00pm. Hope this information helps.
Rory R.
Hi.
I have been disabled for ten years.
Have ptsd. Military. Rated 30%. DAV is making efforts to increase this %.
Disabled with a mental condition .I need help with managing financial issues . Which my daughter over sees.
Become overly depressed
And panic attacks
Along with a medical condition which effects my legs and walking or standing for any length of time.
COPD. Tested by the Va. Listed as serious.
As those who know about this, never gets better. Continuesto grow worse. And in most cases, causes death.
Hearing is almost gone in one ear and poot in the other.
I am not complaining. I would rather work but can’t perform any of the job requirements.
Took years, but I now accept the fact.
Question being.
1-since my daughter over sees all of my financial matters. If I give her legal action to take care of this, how will it effect my SSI as far as payee? Even when I buy something, she’s asking me if I had to buy it. Can I still use my money?
2-i just turned 62 in 0ct. Somehow I panicked about my ssi.
Driving my family and friends crazy. Enough to keep it in my mind 24/7.
Since I can’t work. Especially in the feild I had done most of my life.
Will it remain the same amount as before?
What happens when I get to 66?
Ty. Scared to death. Family says nothing to worry about. Just making myself worse.
Ty
Todd B.
Mt wife who is totally disabled with no eyesight in one eye and brain damaged, wannot file for SSDI, because the organization she work for in california stopped paying into SS. There is a ten year rule which is ridiculous and a travesty for people with a genuine disability. She had her disabling accident in 2005. She was a teacher and the schools did not pay into SS since 1994. She had her 40 quarters with SS complete prior to this accident. She now receives only $157.00 a month. When one pays for a supplement policy, she is in the red and actually would receive no money.
I disagree with this policy. Monet is going out of this Country for other poor people of the world, but the President and Congress do not care for their own poor people of the USA> Sad, but very Trues!