According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the average monthly payment for a recipient of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as of early 2019 was $1,234. That amount, related to the question of how much does Social Security disability pay monthly, may have been impacted by several factors, possibly including:
- The amount of time they were in the workforce before becoming disabled
- The severity of their injury
- Their ability to maintain any other type of employment
- Whether they have dependents
These and other factors could play a role in your application process and any assessment of benefits that you are awarded should you choose to apply for SSDI or another form of disability benefit.
A Disability Can Be All-Encompassing
If you become disabled, whether, through a medical condition that worsened over time or because of a single event such as an accident, the disability may impact nearly every facet of your life. Some of the effects of a disability may include:
- An inability to maintain employment, or to earn an income that generally comes from being employed.
- Limited or completely restricted physical abilities, which may contribute to your inability to remain employed.
- Diminished mental and emotional health due to various effects of being disabled.
- Loss of pleasure in activities that require some level of physical activity.
These are just a few of the adverse outcomes that can arise from being disabled, and any single downside of disability can compound and create a ripple effect of negative consequences. Loss of financial stability and independence can be a significant element of a disability’s insidious impact.
In order to help quell the financial strain of being disabled, the SSA offers SSDI to those who qualify.
Qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI, along with other disability assistance programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), could help ease the burden of diminished earning capacity caused by your disability. The SSA lists several criteria that may be necessary to qualify for SSDI and SSI.
Prerequisites to qualify for SSDI generally include:
- Having a medical condition that prevents you from working for at least one year or that is the likely future cause of your death
- Being 18 years or older
- Having a sufficient work history
To qualify for SSI, you must:
- Having a medical condition that prevents you from working for at least one year or that is the likely future cause of your death
- Be between 18 and 65 years old
- Be a United States citizen currently living in the United States
If you believe that you qualify for financial benefits under SSDI, SSI, or both, then the next step is to apply.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits May Not Be Easy
You may be able to deduce from the SSA’s digital application checklist that applying for Social Security disability benefits can be quite complicated. You may also wonder, how much does Social Security disability pay monthly? Some of the factors that may make applying for SSDI and SSI complicated include:
- The requirement that you collect, organize, and submit medical records that verify your type and severity of disability.
- The need to create an account with the SSA if you do not already have one.
- The need to provide personal identification documents that may not be readily available to you.
- Overly wordy, potentially confusing language.
- The presence of questions that you are unsure how to answer, or that you feel do not apply to you.
The majority of applicants seeking Social Security disability benefits have their initial claim denied, which can make the prospect of making a mistake on your benefits application even more daunting. The good news is that you do not have to file for your benefits on your own—the SSA allows you to assign a party to handle such processes on your behalf.
A Lawyer May Handle the Benefits Application Process on Your Behalf
You have the freedom to apply for SSDI, SSI, and other benefits on your own, or to have somebody you know and trust do it for you. You may also choose a disability attorney to help you apply for benefits, and they may handle other tasks necessary for you to seek benefits, such as appeals.
A lawyer who has been assigned to help you apply for benefits may:
- Apply for benefits (including doing the paperwork) on your behalf.
- Collect the medical records needed to complete your application.
- Handle any appeal that is necessary if your initial claim is denied.
- Accompany you to hearings and any other processes necessary to complete your benefits-vetting process.
- Help ensure that all information and answers you submit to the SSA are accurate.
A lawyer may also help you better understand complicated language that can be present in what may be a generally complex application and follow-up process.
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Call Our Team at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC Today
SSDI, SSI, and other disability benefits could make a significant difference in your quality of life, and it is important that you be judicious in the application process. Call our team at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC today at (828) 286-3866 to learn more about how we may help you pursue disability benefits.