SSDI Vs. SSI Know The Difference Between The Federal Safety Net Programs

By Burt Owens


SSA, or the Social Security Administration, features 2 federal safety net programs giving benefits to folks who suffer from bad health problems that stop them from working: SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) that's calculated based upon a man's past work history and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) that's for those folks who fail to have a significant employment history. Said programs demand that one's medical issue will last at least 1 year or be awful enough to possibly cause death. One's impairment must have lasted at a minimum for 5 months before one can think about getting benefit payments through either program.
If you have been working and paid into the SS system, you are advised to apply for SSDI if you get crippled. SS relies on a formula that looks at how many years a person has worked and his age to decide if he satisfies the work obligation.
If you satisfy the original work obligation for SSDI, you have to file an application through SSA. You can do this on the SSA website or in person at a local SSA office. If you make the cut for SSDI benefits, how much you pay every month will be based upon the SS earnings record.
It is obligatory to include one's work history, SSA payments and also lots of medical info that explains the diagnosis and proves that one's impediment cripples him from finding work. Some examples are visits to the physician, medical tests, hospitalization, therapies and medications.
If you come short of satisfying the criteria for SSDI and still suffer from a bad health problem that impedes you from getting work, you might just make the cut for SSDI. This will be based on financial necessity. To satisfy a requirement, you need to suffer from very limited income as well as assets. Income is based on wages, salary, pensions, benefits and income from interest. If you are married, a fraction of the spouse's income will be included in the calculation, too. Financial aspects in addition to income are reviewed in the assessment process of SSI. This includes bonds, stocks, real estate and bank accounts that a husband or wife may possess. In most cases, you are permitted $2000 in assets and $3000 if you are a couple in order to make the cut for SSI perks.
If you make the cut for SSI perks, how much you get each month will differ up to the highest federal benefit rate. This might even be supplemented by your state of residence. The medical obligation for SSI is equal to that of SSDI. It's only the financial and work obligations that can vary.




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