Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits by:Mark Dacanay
A disability refers a person's inability to engage in work resulting to loss of income
. A person applying for social security disability should also be backed by a doctor's opinion that he/she is currently disabled with evidences to prove disability duration.
There are 2 types of social security disability benefits. They are the following:
Social Security Disability Insurance Benefit (DIB) - These are for disabled workers who were able to work for about 5 to 10 years and paid FICA taxes which allowed them to obtain credits to be eligible for benefits.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - These are extended to the elderly, blind or disabled. It must be proven that a person fits those descriptions and that person is in financial need to be eligible. There are strict requirements to be met and there are certain limits to be proven before an application is approved. If the person has too much money or too much assets then they will be denied.
There are a lot of misunderstandings surrounding the application for social security disability.
Here are some things an applicant must understand about social security disability so as to set realistic expectations:
A person's disability status is determined by how severe his/her disability is. A doctor's report should prove that you have been disabled for at least a year or that you are expected to be disabled for more than a year.
Short term disability does not grant eligibility for social security disability benefits. If your disability lasted or will last for less than a year then Worker's Compensation and Medical insurance is the better option.
The amount that you will receive from social security disability does not depend on how much you are making in your current job.
Applying for social security may take time. There is no definite time of how long before an application is approved so you have to be patient as well.
Once you have decided to apply for social security disability benefits, you can do several things to help your attorney make a winning case.
Ask for documents from your doctor - Save your attorney the time to convince the doctor to give them a copy. Get the documents yourself since doctors are required to give you a copy of your files.
Be honest with your attorney - Do not hide anything from your lawyer. If there are problems with your claim that you are aware of, tell the lawyer immediately so that he/she can work around it. In addition, if there are any changes in your living situation, you should inform your attorney as well. These include change of residence or change in doctor.
Details - Every detail counts. Present all information about your injuries and how it relates to your disability. Sometimes the most humiliating details are the information needed to win a case, so do not hide anything. Use that information or it might be used against you.
When applying for Social security disability, you are not required to seek help from a lawyer, although it will increase your chances of being approved.
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