The Disability Insurance Program – Securing Today and Tomorrow for 60 Years
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
Social Security provides financial benefits, services, and information to help support you throughout life’s journey. On August 1, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Social Security disability insurance program.
Enacted as a part of the Social Security Amendments of 1956, the disability program is an essential lifeline for many workers and their families. People earn this benefit by working and contributing to the Social Security fund. It reinforces a deeply rooted American value – providing financial protection for those who can no longer do substantial work.
Lawmakers considered establishing the disability program as early as 1935, when Congress passed the original Social Security Act. However, policymakers could not reach consensus on how to effectively administer and fund it. Nearly twenty years later, in 1954, Congress established Social Security’s first disability program. It provided a “disability freeze” for disabled workers, which protected a worker’s retirement benefits by not penalizing workers who could not contribute to the Social Security program during periods of disability.
Some lawmakers were concerned about potential program costs, the difficulty of deciding disability claims, and the availability of other assistance. In that contentious climate, it took tough negotiations to create our modern disability program. On August 1, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the program into law.
The Social Security Act sets out a strict definition of disability. We pay benefits to people with a severe medical condition that prevents them from performing substantial work and is expected to last at least one year or result in death. Social Security does not pay benefits for partial disability or short-term disability. Social Security disability beneficiaries are among the most severely impaired in the country and are more than three times as likely to die in a given year as other people the same age.
Today, the Social Security Disability Insurance program provides a financial safety net for millions of Americans. You can visit our Faces and Facts of Disability website to read stories about people currently living with disability. With retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, Social Security is here to help you secure today and tomorrow.
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Mason
I’ll reach full retirement age in few months. I’d like to delay collecting my retirement benefits until age 70 in order to increase my monthly benefits. My spouse is 52 years old and disabled. Can I file restricted application for spousal benefits in order to collect half of my spouse’s disability benefits until I start collecting mine at age 70? thanks in advance for your response.
J.Y.
Hi Mason, under the new law, you can still voluntarily suspend benefit payments at your full retirement age (currently 66) in order to earn higher benefits for delaying. But during a voluntary suspension, other benefits payable on your record, such as benefits to your spouse, are also suspended. And, if you have suspended your benefits, you cannot continue receiving other benefits (such as spousal benefits) on another person’s record. For more information visit our Retirement Planner: Voluntary Suspension FAQs. We have developed instructions for our field office employees so they can answer questions before this change takes effect for suspension requests that are submitted on or after April 30, 2016.
If you have further questions or to make an appointment, please call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thanks!
a.W.
what is the the trash hold if you work and receiving SS for paying tax on SS ?
R. H.
I heard that you always get turned down the first couple of times you apply for SSD. I am only 54 and partially blind. SSD told me I couldn’t collect because I wasn’t 100% blind. I was told to get an attorney if I ever wanted to be considered for SSD. Why should I pay someone something when the SSD is supposed to help people????
R.F.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not require a claimant to have representation at any level, even at a disability hearing or at federal district court. We neither encourage nor discourage representation. If your application for disability benefits was denied, you have a right to file an appeal. You must file an appeal within 60 days from the date you received your notice of denial. The choice to use representation is solely your decision and you will have the choice to decline representation when filing the appeal. If you need help with filing your appeal, you may contact your local Social Security office. We hope this information helps!
tammy
“ Social Security provides financial benefits, services, and information to help support you throughout life’s journey (UNLESS YOU ARE AN ADULT DISABLED CHILD AND YOU MARRY SOMEONE WHO IS NOT DISABLED, THEN THEY USE THIS RULE TO JUSTIFY THEIR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST YOU). On August 1, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Social Security disability insurance program.
Enacted as a part of the Social Security Amendments of 1956, the disability program is an essential lifeline for many workers and their families (BUT NOT ALL PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSONS). People earn this benefit by working and contributing to the Social Security fund . It reinforces a deeply rooted American value – providing financial protection for those who can no longer do substantial work ” (THIS STATEMENT IS A TOTAL LIE, BECAUSE IF YOU ARE AN ADULT DISABLED CHILD AND UNABLE TO WORK BECAUSE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY AND TOTALLY DISABLED AND YOU MARRY AN ABLE BODIED PERSON, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY “FINANCIAL PROTECTION FOR THOSE WHO CAN NO LONGER DO SUBSTANTIAL WORK” WHATSOEVER!
The Socialist Security system can’t even fix an outdated “RULE” that they use to justify discrimination against physically disabled people.
If you are a physically disabled person (an adult disabled child) and you happen to marry an “able bodied person” you will be loosing out on a lifetime of benefits, all because of a one word “rule” that prohibits you from marrying an “able bodied person”. Best of all, they never tell you about their “Rule” so that they can justify cutting off any benefits that you may be due.
Because you are physically disabled (adult disabled child) and you choose not to marry another adult disabled child or disabled person drawing off socialist security, you WILL LOOSE ANY AND ALL BENEFITS FOR LIFE. This means that the SOCIALIST SECURITY system is TELLING YOU WHO YOU ARE ALLOWED TO MARRY and who you are
NOT ALLOWED TO MARRY! It is a discriminatory act “rule” and should be ILLEGAL!
Even though I am permanently and totally disabled, if I marry an “able bodied person”, somehow that marriage makes everything ok and I am no longer considered disabled (in the eyes of the socialist security system). Magically (because I married an able bodied person), the pixie fairies come down and cure my disability, because now I can just go out and find gainful employment, no one will discriminate against my physical disability and everything will be grand, right? Somehow magically, marrying an able bodied person makes my physical disablility dissappear and now I am cured, right? WRONG!
The issue is a special “Rule” that the Socialist Security System uses to discriminate against “certain” people. If you are a “physically disabled person” (AKA-certain people) and happen to marry an able bodied person, then the SOCIALIST SECURITY system will use special “Rules” to legally discriminate against you and deny you benefits, even if you appeal online.
The SOCIALIST SECURITY system has caused me a lot of economic hardship all because I married an able bodied person. The SOCIALIST SECURITY system thinks someone who is physically disabled (permanently and totally disabled) marries an “able bodied person”, that somehow magically they are cured of their physical disability and two people can survive off the able bodied persons income. WOW, talk about a bunch of bureaucratic idiotic thinking, that somehow this would not cause a financial hardship….. amazing.
The rules that the Social Security Administration uses to legally discriminate against persons who are “Adult Disabled Children” who happen to marry an able bodied person, are discriminatory. This is loosely referred to as the “marriage penalty” but I call it exactly what it is, a legal form of discrimination.
I firmly believe this rule, is an act of bias, prejudice and discrimination against people who (by no fault of their own) are born disabled and happen to marry an able bodied person
Please write your Congressional Representative and tell them to end this modern day form of Legal Discrimination. In this day of fairness and equality, there are still some people suffering from an outdated and oppressive bureaucratic rule.
(PS. notice how the only thing any of these SOCIALIST SECURITY workers ever say are quotes of the rules or processes, like a worker drone. They are unable to address any topics that fall outside of their rule books). Typical bureaucracy and bureaucratic responses, like trying to argue over lost change with a vending machine!
Sheila
If I had to guess it would be that they believe your spouse can support you. When your spouse retires or becomes disabled you may be eligible for benefits off of your spouse’s record; But it’s just a guess.
Tony S.
In 2014 the average OSHA fatal work injury rate per 100,000 people was 3.4. The 2016 Annual OASDI reports the disability death rate under the intermediate assumptions evolves from a level of 13.4 per thousand beneficiaries for 2015 to 11.3 per thousand beneficiaries for 2025. between 1,340 and 1,130 deaths per 100,000. This is nearly 500 times higher death rate than average for other careers that don’t involve a permanent or terminal disability. A risk of death three times greater than normal might be descriptive of disabled persons who do not specifically diagnosed with terminal illnesses. OSHA should maybe differentiate and include the death rates for (1) ‘all disability beneficiaries 1,130 fatalities per 100,000 and (2) non-terminal permanently disabled people 10.2 per 100,000.
Social Security Amendments of January 1, 2016 http://www.title24uscode.org/ss1.htm
To legislate a 2.4% DI tax rate to pay for a 6% COLA for calendar year 2017 and 2.2% DI tax rate and 3% COLA every year thereafter.
To amend the DI tax rate from 1.80% in 2015, to 2.37% in 2016, to 2.40% in 2017, to 2.20% in 2018 to when all the Baby Boomer shall have retired. To increase the 0.9% DI tax in 2015 to 1.2% DI tax for employees and employers in 2017 and 1.1% in 2018 under Sec. 201(b)(1)(S) of the Social Security Act 42USC(7)II§401.
To amend the OASI tax rate from 10.60% in 2015, to 10.03% in 2016, to 10.00% in 2017 and 10.20% in 2018 and thereafter to prevent the DI fund from being depleted and OASI Trust Fund from premature deficit. To increase the 5.30% OASI tax in 2015 to 5.00% in 2017, to 5.10% in 2018, for employees and employers under 26USC(C)(21)(A)§3111 (a) without increasing the overall 12.4% OASDI or 15.3% OASDI and Hospital Insurance (HI) Federal Insurance Contribution Act tax-rate under 26USC(A)(2)§1401.
To pay a 6% Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) 2017 to compensate for the theft of the 2016 COLA and 3% COLA every year thereafter to protect benefit determination from attrition by average estimated inflation of 2.6% in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) under Sec. 215(i) of the Social Security Act 42USC§415(i).
Emily
Is it legal for a psychiatrist in private practice to discriminate against a mentally ill person by refusing to take them on as a new patient simply because they are on SSDI? I was just refused psychiatric services by the only clinic on Long Island that I could find that accepts Medicare because the psychiatrist that rents the space in the clinic will not see anyone who is on disability. All the other Dr.’s won’t accept Medicare. How is this legal?
R.F.
Hi Emily, for additional information or other questions about this matter, please contact Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048), or visit http://www.medicare.gov.
Theresa
I hope someone can direct us to people who can help: my grandson received a letter in July stating that he would receive benefits retroactive to March 2016. To this date, he has received NOTHING.
He has dealt with the local office and they keep telling him the “bookkeepers have not updated their records”.
He has children and monthly payments like the rest of us.
Who an he turn to?
R.F.
Unfortunately, your grandson’s issue is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. For security reasons, we do not have access to information about personal records in this venue. your grandson should continue to work with the local office, and if necessary, ask to speak with the manager to see how we can help to resolve his situation. If unable to visit the local office, he can call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778. Representatives are available Monday through Friday between 7:00a.m. and 7:00p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later in the week. Thanks.
Sheila
Is there an email address where it can be sent?
R.F.
We apologize for the inconvenience and suggest that you contact the AC office directly, or visit your local Social Security office for assistance. If you visit the local office, we suggest that you bring with you, all of the documents related to your claim. Thanks!
Sheila
Thank you. My local social security office would not forward the documents pertaining to my claim. As stated before, they have with held evidence, placed a current appeal into an archives file, held a request for hearing, gave incorrect, incomplete, and misleading information and denied due process repetively. I will try and contact Susan G. at the AC again on Monday. Thanks
Sheila
Well, at least I have proof that the mailings were in fact recieved by the AC at the time that they were sent, but I would really like for this to be over with out having to file a civil suit. I’m at a complete loss; should I send everything again for the third time, what would be different this time around?
Sheila
I mailed via certified mail a request for reveiw which the AC recieved on 11/24/15 and resubmitted all of the documents including a photocopy of the initial mailing via certified mail, which the AC stamped on 3/2/16. I recieved a voicemail today from the AC saying they do not have it. I made sure that my social security number was on every page the second time that it was sent. I know that they have it, they just need to find where they put it; that is assuming that they did not shred everything that was sent. This is a real life nightmare.
sandy
I would like to know if I can collect on my husbands disability check I am on ss and only make less than half of what he gets monthly.
R.F.
Hi Sandy. Your benefit as a spouse can be equal to one-half of your husband’s full retirement amount only if you start receiving those benefits at your full retirement age. If a person begins to receive benefits at age 62 or prior to their full retirement age, their benefits are reduced. The reduction factors are permanently applied to all of the benefits the person may qualify for. Generally, when you apply for your Social Security benefits, we also review your eligibility for a higher benefit under your spouse’s record. However, if someone is eligible for both, his or her own benefit and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay their own first. If their spousal benefits are higher than their own retirement benefits, he or she will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit. Please visit our Retirement Planner: Benefits For Your Spouse for more information. To see if you are eligible for a higher benefit amount, call us at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday but you will generally have a shorter wait time if you call later in the day or later in the week.