Although many people use the names interchangeably, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSDI) are two distinctly different governmental benefits. The primary distinction to make between the two programs is that to receive Social Security Disability Benefits, a person must have enough work credits. Whereas, SSI gets granted to people with low incomes who haven’t earned enough work credits to meet the qualification requirements for SSDI or have never worked. The Social Security Administration oversees both programs and both rely on the same criteria for medical eligibility.
What Is SSDI?
Payroll taxes fund Social Security Disability Insurance. To get considered as being insured, a person receiving SSDI must have paid FICA Social Security taxes and has worked for a specific number of years. To obtain insurance benefits, a candidate has to be younger than 65 years old. If he or she receives benefits for two years, the individual then qualifies for Medicare.
According to SSDI regulation, if a recipient has a spouse and dependents under 18 years old, each member of the household can collect auxiliary benefits, which are only partial payments. After a person gets approved for Social Security Disability Benefits, he or she must wait for five months after becoming disabled before collecting. The SSA calculates benefit amount based on the individual’s record of total earnings. In that way, the determination is like how the Social Security retirement benefit gets figured.
What Is SSI?
Unlike SSDI, general fund taxes fund Supplemental Security Income. SSI awards its benefits according to a person’s assets and income. A person gets benefits explicitly based on need. The program has nothing to do with an individual’s history of working and gets awarded based on financial necessity. Because it is a means-tested program, there are income requirements. A person must not have more than $2,000 in assets and income is extremely limited.
If you have questions about filing a disability claim in Waukegan, contact Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, Ltd. and receive a free case evaluation at www.rabbinsslaw.com.
