I have seen LOTS of threads of late about disability, about people who know people who cannot get on it,
about people who imply others are faking their disability for the money, etc.
So here is some info ( my credentials are 20 plus years in the Mental Health field, and personal experience)
If you find this helpful, please kick.
Questions and comments will be appreciated.
There are different kinds of "disability " programs. They each have their own rules and requirements.
You cannot tell which program anyone is on by looking at them, AND a lot of people do not have visible disabilities.
1.Workman's Comp disability. Who is qualified: usually earned by work on one's job. Age is not an issue for eligibility, as far as I know.
Covers a wide range of disabilities, visible and non-visible, the length of coverage and of the disability may vary,
the amount paid may vary, the restrictions on a persons daily activities may vary.
How you qualify:
rules and measurements can vary from place to place, depending on the job, union, etc.
What I don't know:
if there is a lump sum payment from time from application or disability to time of acceptance into the program.
2. Soc. Sec. Disability:.( SSDI)..Is a FEDERAL program. Who is qualified: Anyone who has sufficient numbers of work credits, counted in quarterly hours.
*or*
a child under age 18 whose parent had enough work history.
( I think I am right on child rules, someone might know the latest on this)
Covers a wide range of disabilities, visible and non-visible, the length of coverage and of the disability may vary,
the amount paid may vary, the restrictions on a persons daily activities may vary.
How you qualify:
Soc. Sec. has very detailed measurements of "disability" and requires one or more Doctor exams, which may include testing. They pay for this. It can take 6 months or more fro 1st application to last Dr. Visit, it can take more than one application attempt.
To "get on" Soc. Sec. disability is often a matter of how the Dr. views your disability and even which state you apply in, but the requirements are supposed to uniform NATIONWIDE, since it is a 100% Federal funding program by the Soc. Sec, administration.
There is a lump sum paid to the successful applicant, from the date the Soc. Sec. Admin decides you were entitled to disability to the date they officially start the payments. It can be considerable.
Amount you can get a month:
Usually determined by the amount of the disability ( permanent and total or partial disability)
and based on what your regular Soc. Sec. check would be at age 65.
( or whenever the "full retirement age" is determined to be at the time you are eligible for it, it can change in the future).
At age of full retirement you are moved from Soc. Sec. disability to your regular Soc. Sec. retirement status, and get a regular Soc. Sec. check.
Soc. Sec. from time to time reserves the right to re-evaluate your disability status. They can and do decide you are no longer disabled. It often appears to be caprious.
3. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a Federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA),
the state puts in part of the moneyWho is qualified:The SSI program provides cash assistance to individuals who
do not qualify for the 2 program above because they have insufficient work history
AND
are either age 65 or older, or blind or disabled, including children.
You must have limited income and resources.
(SSI is a "needs-based" program, sometimes called a "welfare" program.)
which means you must be stone cold broke, essentially.
I mean really broke. Covers a wide range of disabilities, visible and non-visible, the length of coverage and of the disability may vary,
the amount paid may vary, the restrictions on a persons daily activities may vary.
There was no lump sum when I was working with SSI clients.
EACH state has a different monthly amount, and it is LOW. The pot of money for SSI is determined at the beginning of every fiscal year, the number of people who are lucky enough to qualify depends on that pot of money, people can and do get kicked off the program often. Some people have to re-apply every year.
Age varies, your children under age 18 can qualify for SSI.
Sometimes many children in a family can qualify ( based on my past experience, it may have changed by now).
SSI recipients are eligible for State Medicaid services.
The BIG question: Why didn't my friend/neighbor/family member get disability???? 2 reasons may apply:
They were not eligible for the program to which they applied
( they applied to wrong program even tho they had a disability, or
they were not determined to be disabled when they applied,
even if it appears to others they have a disability)
or
the system has put up road blocks to applications.
Sad but true, the program that gives out the benefits also has a vested interest in not paying out all the benefits.
That is why for Soc. Sec. disability you often hear that people had to get an attorney to get it, or had to apply more than one time.
Here is one cause of roadblocks that even DEM governors have put up: closing down the Soc. Sec. application offices
even tho it does not cost the state a dime, the salaries of the Soc. Sec. workers are paid by Federal dollars.
Sound unbelievable?
Read and weep:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x839129