Government Disability Payment â€“ What kind Of Support Does The Government Provide For Permanently Disabled People?

January 28, 2008 on 9:32 pm | In Health |

Permanently Disabled people are eligible for Social Security for the disabled and possible for Medicare benefits. Having a disability does not automatically qualify you for a social security disability check. This surprises some people. The hard fact is that you have to meet some standards for disability set by the government to qualify.

The federal government has set some standards that define ‘permanent disability’. Your disability must be expected to last for at least 12 months or be terminal to qualify according to these standards.

In addition, your disability must prevent you from full time work at any sort of job (not just the type you used to do). An iron worker who injures his back can no longer do his old job, but perhaps can work in an office setting. Thus he is not qualified for social security disability checks.

According to the government you should have “an inability to engage in substantial gainful activity to qualify for social security disability payments. Disability payments are not based on what jobs are available but whether you can do any jobs. Thus if you do not have a job and there are no openings in the area in which you live you may still not qualify for disability payments if there is a kind of job that you can do.

There are two kinds of social security for the disabled. These are Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If you have worked long enough and paid social security taxes, you are eligible for SSDI. SSI pays based on your financial need. A person can be eligible for one or both of these disability payments.

The amount paid under SSDI depends on your date of birth and earnings history. Some people under SSDI actually receive other income like stock dividends or rent. In such cases they may have to pay tax on disability benefits.

You may not qualify for SSI even if you have a very severe disability. You must be able to prove your financial need for the extra money. SSDI is regarded as income like portions of your spouse’s income and resources worth more than $2000 (excluding some assets like your home)

Thus how much you receive from social security for disability varies according to person and programs. If you are unable to work due to disability you should certainly apply for social security.

Of Importance