About Social Security "Disability Benefits"

Disability benefits refer to the federal government's disability insurance program. They are similar to that of the retirement benefits of the Social Security, and similarly, they are only given to workers living in the United States who have met certain criteria under certain circumstances. When talking about disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) follows its own definition of disability that will earn the applicant a chance to receive monetary and non-monetary benefits.

Disability benefits are available through two of the most recognizable federal programs, both of which are handled by the SSA. They are the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and Supplemental Security Income(SSI) program. Insurance benefits are given to qualified applicants who are either regular employees or self-employed individuals who have medical conditions that prevent them to do normal work.

In order for an applicant to receive Social Security Disability benefits, the person must have a physical or mental impairment that is expected to prevent him or her to do any substantial work at least 12 months. The impairment may also be expected to result in death. A "substantial" work means that a person earns $1,000 or more monthly.

Though both the SSDI and the SSI serve persons with disabilities, they have their own similarities and differences. Similarly, both programs pay monetary and non-monetary benefits per month. Conversely, SSDI benefits are based on the applicant's prior work or a family member's previous work while the SSI does not.

The SSDI is financed by the Social Security taxes, which are taken from the tax contributions of workers under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or the Self Employment Contributions Act (SECA). The SSI, however, uses funds from the US Treasury, such as personal income taxes, corporate and other forms of taxes.

Every approved applicant is entitled to receive medical assistance. A person who chooses to avail of SSDI benefits can also avail of Medicare, while a person who opts to avail of SSI benefits can get Medicaid. SSI benefits are paid on the first day of the month, while the SSDI payments start six months from the day the SSA determined the person's disability.

The SSA can either reduce providing benefits to a person with disability because of various reasons. The federal agency can reduce the amount of the disability benefits if the person is able to get worker's compensation or is under a state-sponsored disability program. If the person's health condition improves or is able to work despite the disability, the SSA still offers incentives that will not fall short of a sudden loss of benefits.