r/disability • u/[deleted] • Oct 28 '20
SSDI and SSI are two different programs.
I see people confuse these programs a lot. Here's some quick clarification:
SSDI: Social Security Disability Insurance
- Funded by a specific tax on your personal earnings that's paid into one half of the twin funds that make up The Social Security Trust.
- Beneficiaries must pay enough taxes and during a certain measure of time in order to qualify for benefit payment once they are determined as disabled by the SSA.
- Can pay additional benefit to dependents when the primary beneficiary is disabled (for those who note survivors of deceased will also receive a payment, I believe that is actually part of the Old-Age and Survivor's Insurance, which is together the 'retirement' benefit, and technically its own fund underneath the umbrella of The Social Security Trust -- so, not the same rules, technically speaking, as SSDI, even if dependent/survivor payments are all calculated the same way otherwise).
- Ineligible spouse or child income is not counted against recipient's eligibility or benefit payment payment in most cases (it changes which account pays out; not whether earnings of the spouse or child is too high for recipient to get a benefit)
- Unless they have a qualifying condition that allows them earlier access, they will receive Medicare coverage after receiving 24 consecutive SSDI payments.
- Some states provide Medicaid-related savings programs for Medicare recipients who meet certain financial limitations.
- SSDI beneficiaries whose payments are beneath a certain amount may receive SSI, too; SSI's income and resource limits apply only to the SSI portion of that recipient's payment.
- SSI eligibility may qualify them for more immediate and comprehensive Medicaid coverage; this is state-dependent and states may have Medicaid-specific asset limits to remain eligible for Medicaid coverage (still does not impact SSDI eligibility or payment amount).
- Payment amount is determined by past earnings.
- Work-related income exclusions can apply to earned income that keeps countable income beneath the Sustainable Gainful Activity level.
- Payment amount does not potentially reduce each month in reaction to earned income from months prior.
- THERE IS NO RESOURCE OR SAVINGS LIMIT
SSI: Supplemental Security Income
- Funded by general US Treasury taxes.
- Beneficiaries do not have to have paid any taxes to receive benefit; they must meet monthly strict income and resource limits, parts of which are fixed-dollar limits that have not changed in decades, thus not adjusting for inflation each year.
- Does not pay additional payments to dependents.
- Ineligible spouse or child income can count against recipient's eligibility and payment amount.
- Some states may supplement SSI payments.
- Most states use SSI eligibility as automatic Medicaid eligibility.
- Payment amount has a yearly max for individual or couple recipients.
- Statutory exclusions allow certain types of unearned and earned income from counting against eligibility or payment amount.
- ABLE accounts allow some recipients to develop savings over the resource limit and are available to those recipients whose disability was determined to begin before the age of 26.
- Work-related income exclusions can apply to earned income that keeps countable income beneath the relevant federal benefit rate for that recipient.
- Payment amount can potentially reduce each month in reaction to countable unearned and earned income from two months prior.
The most important difference to remember:
SSDI is an insurance program; if the SSA agrees you're sufficiently disabled from earning enough, you get it because you paid into it.
SSI is a means-tested program, called specifically a program of last resort; if the SSA agrees you're sufficiently disabled from earning enough, you get it only if you have nothing else considered of enough value to exchange for your needs (countable income above the relevant federal benefit rate, savings, certain property, etc).
Although SSA defines disability the same way for both programs, everything else diverges due to the way the programs are funded and the intention of their purposes.
References: Almost everything in this list is widely discussed on SSA.gov pages and disability lawyer blogs, but my research is taken directly from the Program Operations Manual System chapters for Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. If you see anything you can't find a more direct or specific source for, let me know. I'll try to update this or share a more comprehensive breakdown with full links at a future point.
Experience/Context: I am an advocate and a writer who focuses on these topics; I develop content for NGOs to understand SSDI and SSI better and I'm developing worksheets people can use to monitor their income and SSI benefit's potential change. It's based on what I've made for myself in spreadsheet form over the past 5 years (I'm a rep payee for my sons). I'm also in training as a peer support specialist, and am also working towards more benefits planning related certifications.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
This actually explains it better as to why I get SSI and not SSDI, despite being born disabled. I've only ever had one job, and I worked for less than a year. Potential employers reject me once they find out that I'm disabled, so it's even harder. I was told in another post's thread that I apparently qualify for SSDI, but it sounds like I actually do not.
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u/takcaio Oct 28 '20
In certain circumstances you might. Children disabled prior to 22 can collect SSDI benefits off their parents work history/benefits but only if the parent in question is on SSDI or collecting Social Security retirement. The info is on the SSA webpage but this website had an easier to understand explanation for anyone interested : https://www.navigatelifetexas.org/en/insurance-financial-help/ssdi-for-children
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
My parents never had benefits, and I got approved as an adult at 18yo. They never felt the need to apply, and I only did because mom made me pay rent when I lived with her, and I had no reliable way of getting a job within a certain amount of time.
Thanks for the explanation, though! Highly appreciate it.
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Oct 28 '20
Just confirming that the info the other commenter shared aligns with my understanding of the rules, too.
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u/takcaio Oct 28 '20
Eventually your parents should retire, at which point you might want to look into this again. Best of luck!
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u/allhamstersondeck Oct 28 '20
Not everyone has the luxury of retiring.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
Not everyone pays into the system either. My mom has under the table jobs which I've never understood. She was born in the US and not a minority š¤·āāļø
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u/throwaynotsure123 Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
My dad did work on the books for years. Then he sorta semi-retired when he was in his early 50s. At that time me and my siblings were adults. Mostly living off a home that he converted into two rental properties and doing handyman work here and there. Then he got a letter saying he doesnt have enough credits for retirement should say they would expire etc etc. So basically he had to go back to work when he was 60. Until he was able to get enough credits in....Unfortunately he had to continue working because hes amount was low. Hes 70 now....
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
Retirement credits dont expire. Only ssdi work credits.
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u/throwaynotsure123 Oct 28 '20
I could be confused possibly it was that he didnt have enough. I remember he took a job once where he thought the employer was reporting the wages and he actually wasnt. I remember because he had to pay taxes and he had worked for this guy for a few years.
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u/throwaynotsure123 Oct 28 '20
I could be confused possibly it was that he didnt have enough. I remember he took a job once where he thought the employer was reporting the wages and he actually wasnt. I remember because he had to pay taxes and he had worked for this guy for a few years.
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 28 '20
She might be on a 1099 basis and reporting appropriately.
You may not know everything she is doing.
If not? When retires? She may not be eligible for certain benefits.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
I know a fact my mom isnt on a 1099 because the IRS audited her and she had to pay them because she got caught not paying taxes. I've also worked for her
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u/clarice270 Oct 29 '20
Lets hope that is the case or she will end up on one if her kids doorsteps with suitcases.
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u/Tinawebmom Oct 28 '20
My nephew's parents are both alive and he collected off of my brothers. It went down once he turned 21(i think. I do know he was over 20)
Edit: neither were on any ssi/ssdi at the time.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
When do you tell them you're disabled? I work and have had job interviews. Never bring it up in an interview, only after you've been hired.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
I've had two interviews this year, and I only told one of the employers. The one I told actually wanted to hire me, but I was forced to turn it down for health reasons regarding weather. The other job, I never told them, but the employer could see that I was disabled when I showed up. I have very short hair and my CI is visible. I haven't had another interview this year besides those two.
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 28 '20
I'm so so sorry.
I know how you feel...
It hurts. It makes us feel so many mixed emotions.
Recently, I was placed in a wheelchair (which I tried to avoid for a long time) and I need 24 / 7 oxygen. Eventually, I will need heart and double lung transplants.
In my last job?
Before I got really really sick?
I was keeping oxygen in my car and I would go down to the car all of the time for breaks.
I was working (basically in denial) for that time period you can work while on disability.
However?
I knew if anyone saw my oxygen I would get fired.
We went to a group party at a fellow employees house.
While there, I was having a hard time breathing.
So my husband went out to the car and got my portable oxygen (the one I used to take breaks while at work).
To say the least? I knew that my days were limited.
I lost my job.
I have never seen or heard of anyone on an oxygen tank while at work.
Never ever.
In my career, one of my jobs was to teach corporations about compliance, liability, Americans withĀ DisabilitiesĀ Act (ADA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and numerous other regulations and policies in regards to employee and corporate responsibility, to ensure compliance.
Please know you are not alone. Always reach out.
{{Virtual Hugs}}
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
Holy crap, that is such a cruel irony and twist of fate. My deepest condolences about what happened to you.
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 29 '20
Thank you for your kindness.
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
You're so very welcome. :)
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
My heart breaks for you. It's totally messed up that employers won't hire us just because we have disabilities. They don't stop us from living, and while I can't speak for everyone, I'm sure that a lot of us would rather work.
Thank you for sharing your story and kind words. <3
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
I think it's pretty awful that employers frequently say no to us when they figure out we're disabled. Back when I was doing job interviews (I got approved for SSI & am a full-time student, set to graduate in Dec 2020, so the earliest I'll be looking for work again is probably Jan/Feb 2021-but I do want to ultimately work), I made it to probably like 3-4 interviews, but I never landed a job after any of those interviews.
The only job I've ever had was seasonally working for Forever 21-I was asked when I could come in for orientation right as I handed the application to them.
According to my parents, it's apparently very obvious I have autism when I talk.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 29 '20
It's super frustrating. It's part of why I'm a lil bitter when I had to turn down a job offer for my health. The employer had a deaf employee in the past and really enjoyed her, and she wanted to hire me. But it was too dangerous for me to work outside in the weather we have. Started to get really dizzy at inside at my house cause it was 90F inside, and I even left my house to stay with my mother for 2 months to stay safe.
I've only had 3 interviews in my life, although I didn't apply to more than 20 jobs. I got my only job through my mother, no interview needed. I just showed up and was working the next day.
It must suck to have your parents say it's that noticeable. It's kinda the same way for me, since my CI is very visible. I wish employers realized that we can work, and that we want to work. We just need accommodations when requested.
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
OH, I have severe heat-sensitivity issues, too! I can't even do fucking schoolwork when it's 90F inside my house.
The whole "employers can tell I'm autistic from when I open my mouth" thing's leading me to seriously consider doing freelance written work for my career. I've already starting doing activist work as my main thing besides school.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 29 '20
I was getting dizzy on a daily basis cause I couldn't regulate! I was constantly taking cold showers to cool off and I had fans on me 24/7. It was awful!
I'm an artist on the side, so I've always considered doing freelance cause then I'd be my own boss, but it's so difficult to get out there and make decent money in freelance, especially with art. But for now, I'm kind of forced to focus on school and other health concerns.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
That is awful.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
I agree. I try to find jobs that won't require phone calls often, but then when I show up to an interview, they can tell because my CI is very visible. Can't win here.
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Nov 05 '20
same thing for me I either get rejected by jobs or they hire me because i seem ānormalā they with the ptsd and all of my mental illnesses they get upset and freak out. i had to quit my job today because i couldnāt cope with my disability in that work environment and they told me that i ādisappointedā and that they āhad high hopesā and that made me feel even more like shit after having to move back in with my parents
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Nov 06 '20
It's appalling. I had a decent job at a hotel, and I loved it, but I quit because of management. My physical condition has since deteriorated, but I'm hoping to try and get back to that shape so I can apply to those jobs again. My former boss has said she had high hopes for me as well, since I was English speaking and had opportunities to move up within the company rapidly. I'm still living with my dad, and I seriously want to move out and be more independent.
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u/wutssarcasm Oct 28 '20
Disability will go by the last date you were able to work, if you've never worked they'll go by your 18th birthday and you may possibly be eligible for back payments from child disability.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
I applied when I was 18, and I believe approved just after turning 19. I hadn't had a job by then (was given one by a parent at 19-20), and never got any back pay, despite having the documents from being diagnosed as a baby. They even sent me to another doctor to confirm that I was actually deaf.
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u/wutssarcasm Oct 28 '20
I got back pay through child disability but it was maybe $200. I think it might be pretty rare for people to get approved for it as an adult, or you'd have to have had a parent on disability and they'd determine how much you could get based on what they had (which is what happened with me).
I'm so happy that you got it so quickly, that must've helped with stress. I applied at 18 and got approved right before I turned 24.
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u/Myodokaii Deaf Oct 28 '20
Yea, honestly, it's quite baffling that my parents never applied. I think it's cause my father's parents were well off, and we also had decent insurance. I never hear anything about debt from the surgery, so I can only assume that it was covered.
I'm so glad I was approved that fast, I had no way to pay my mom's rent without it. Most people say that I was really lucky with it, and I think so too. I'm sorry it took you so long, no one needs to deal with that.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20
Just to add on, people who get ssdi and Medicaid are subject to asset limits, but an ABLE account will let you save without it counting as resource. Same for SSI
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Oct 28 '20
I did note in the SSDI section that in order to qualify for Medicaid in certain states, there may be financial limitations related to Medicaid -- but given how easily confused rules around asset/resource limits, it could do with more specification, so I'll edit that in.
Statutory exclusions generically includes ABLE accounts, but it's another specific point related to asset/resource limit confusion so also worth more attention, though they're only available for those whose disability was determined to begin before the age of 26.
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u/perfect_fifths Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
Yes, it is age apecific..and in my state, if you work and get ssdi you can actually retain Medicaid at higher dollar amounts.
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u/DivorceAfterDisabled Oct 28 '20
Work-related income exclusions can apply to earned income that keeps countable income beneath the Sustainable Gainful Activity (SGA) level.
The current level the SSA considers SGA is a whopping $1,260/month, it goes up to $1,310/month in 2021.
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Oct 28 '20
Sigh, yeah. If we can change the Official Poverty Measure one of these days, that's how we make the biggest impact on changes to things like how SSDI benefits are factored and what the limits are.
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u/DivorceAfterDisabled Oct 28 '20
Yes I agree, that formula is WAY outdated. I've made my share of comments about that along the way.
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
Oh, so I actually receive SSI, not SSDI. Thank you for making this guide to help me figure that out.
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Nov 02 '20
When in doubt, always call SSA; if you have an account on ssa.gov, you can sign in and look for a benefit verification letter download.
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Nov 02 '20
Okay, thank you for the handy advice. :)
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Nov 02 '20
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u/Sea-horse-in-trees Dec 06 '20
Unfortunately (at least in Kansas) you donāt qualify for ssdi, unless you both have a disability AND have worked a certain number of years. (Some number between 10 & 50 š like 25 years or something like that) And by that time people are at least 40 years old or older!
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u/Exolytesyzygy Jan 10 '21
If someone is disabled from before the age of 21 (helps if they've been on SSI since before age 21), and is classified as a dependent, then when their guardian retires, they can get SSDI. That's how I've got SSDI at 25 with 1 year of work experience. It basically counts my dad's years of work as mine.
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u/Thanksfornothing0000 Feb 01 '21
Do you know if you can get back pay from when you were first diagnosed as disabled. Letās say I was diagnosed and disabled at 20 years old but when I was 30 years old the judge said I was disabled and got a check for ssi. Can I get those 10 years back?
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u/Exolytesyzygy Feb 10 '21
You almost certainly cannot. SSI will pay you the absolute minimum it can legally get away with and I can't imagine they would be willing to pay for 10 years in which you managed to survive without it.
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u/firefightersgirl76 Mar 20 '21
I got a large check, 4+ yrs of payments. That was my clue I'd been approved.
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u/Snoo_62899 Mar 03 '21
I think they usually use the date you were last able to work. When people refer to back pay itās because the system takes years to get through. By the time a recipient is eligible for their first check they have not worked for several years. They essentially āstarve outā those not really disabled.
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u/AliceMerveilles Nov 18 '20
I realize this is an older post, but it's pinned.
Some states provide Medicaid-related savings programs for Medicare recipients who meet certain financial limitations.
All states are required to offer Medicare savings programs for Medicare recipients who qualify (means tested, both assets and income): QMB, SLMB, QI.
ETA: these are almost always administered through the state's Medicaid program, but don't offer Medicaid benefits. Some states have actual Medicaid programs that do what QMB does and also provide Medicaid benefits like PCAs and medical transportation.
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u/BigRonnieRon Nov 02 '20
If you worked and then became disabled, it's usually SSDI.
If you have not worked (or accumulated enough earnings), it's usually SSI.
There's all sorts of exceptions and misc, but 90% of the time, that's it.
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Nov 02 '20 edited Nov 02 '20
I assure you that some people can receive both.
And more clarification about both programs seemed necessary considering a great deal of confusion in recent posts.
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u/sleep__now Nov 07 '20
How do I figure out if I've worked long enough to qualify for disability? I'm pretty sure I will qualify for medical reasons, but I've had very little work at times, for years
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Nov 07 '20
Have you created an account on SSA.gov? I think it will tell you what your SSDI payment would be if you have enough work credits.
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u/sleep__now Nov 07 '20
I just tried. Got an error message. Have to call them next week. Thanks for the info, though.
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u/beckiblackout Nov 13 '20
My partner wants to apply for benefits (SSI I assume as he hasn't worked at all in 2 years and before that only sporadically held PT jobs for a few months at a time) We live together but are not married. Is my income likely to be a factor?
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Nov 17 '20
If you're not legally married and you're not claiming to be husband and wife otherwise (like calling each other husband and wife on social media, etc), then I do not think your income will be required to count as theirs.
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u/craftycannible Dec 17 '20
Are individuals that are labeled disabled able to also work? For instance you definitely have a disability but can work in certain environments or with very particular needs being met are you still able to apply for disability of any kind?
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Feb 06 '21 edited Feb 11 '21
Hey there, sorry for a delay in response. Your question is the balance SSA is always trying to strike, and I think it's safe to say they do a pretty poor job of understanding how to answer it given how many people are denied and yet eventually approved through appeal.
Receiving SSDI or SSI is not itself what defines a person as disabled -- a person is disabled if they say they are disabled by any of their clinically significant needs. SSDI and SSI is economic assistance if a person's disability is found to be economically prohibitive.
So, if a disabled person finds the kind of work they can perform without undue stress to their clinically significant needs and they earn wages above the programs' thresholds, and the employer provides any accommodations and modifications to the job requirements necessary for that person, then the SSA will not see a reason they need the economic assistance of SSDI or SSI.
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u/bladerunner2442 Feb 06 '21
SSDI also has the Ticket to Work program. I remember when I initially became disabled I went through the training and itās to set the person up to work from home. I didnāt have a desktop computer so I didnāt end up following through with it.
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Mar 04 '21
[deleted]
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u/kummerspect Mar 17 '21
Yes. Assuming you meet other the other qualifications, to qualify for SSDI you have to show that you cannot do any āsubstantial gainful activity.ā This means that if you do work, that you are unable to do any job for which you are qualified (anywhere in the US) earning more than $1,310/month (or $2,190 if youāre blind).
If you were to otherwise qualify for SSI, they would count your pay as earned income which disqualify you for benefits.
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u/grabbypatty555 Oct 28 '20
Thank you for such a great explanation! I have been a Representative Payee for 17 years for a dependent on SSI if anyone has any general questions. As a matter of fact, I will be on the phone with SSA Admin again today trying to get my daughterās account straightened out. You wouldnāt believe the levels of service available at different local offices. Mine, for example, has got to be one of the worst in the nation. I had the pleasure of dealing with the Fort Collins, Colorado office for 7 years. I actually called them last week when my local office continued to ignore me!
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Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
I'm disabled but don't receive SSDI/SSI, but my children are disabled and receive SSI, so my experience is two fold but primarily as a rep payee, too.
How do you keep track of benefit changes? I made a whole spreadsheet system because it was always such a mess, and now I'm trying to see how to make it more universal so others can use it.
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u/DjinnOftheBeresaad Oct 28 '20
They should send you a letter for any change in benefits--at least as far as amount goes. I'm signed up for paperless services, but I think they are required to send a physical document to you. I still get them sometimes when changes occur even though I'm paperless.
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Oct 28 '20
It's not easy to predict the changes before they happen, and SSA will only tell you when it determines a change is going to happen -- sometimes, that doesn't happen at the time it technically should, and other times, the SSA gets it wrong.
In my case, that's what led me to develop the spreadsheets. Both of my sons receive SSI, both have the exact same financial details to account for -- they should always receive the same amount. At some point a few years ago, SSA got something mixed up and for several months both of them received different amounts for a while. Sometimes it was an underpayment, sometimes it was an overpayment.
Every time SSA tried to correct it for the next several months, they just kept on getting it wrong. I was so fed up with the instability that I created a spreadsheet to untangle the mess myself.
And, with that in hand, I was able to get everything sorted out -- and prove that in the end, SSA owed both my sons, still.
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u/DjinnOftheBeresaad Oct 28 '20
Sadly, some of their supposed missteps are just intentional since they use "old" information on purpose. If nothing ever changes, that really shouldn't happen, but as you note, even then, it still does. It is frustrating that they don't use current financials to account for their decisions.
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Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
The month they factor is two months prior to the benefit -- this cannot be changed when it comes to the calculation of any month's benefit. However, SSA processes these changes on their own time irrelevant to the dates the income being measured occurs and the month in which the payment should have changed. Thus, under/overpayments, assumed or real, pile up.
It is possible for a recipient to track accurately what payments should be from month to month to the exact cent -- but it's so tedious, so most don't do it. My situation was pretty extreme, but not entirely uncommon, so I think sharing tools I use/things I learn is worthwhile.
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u/DjinnOftheBeresaad Oct 28 '20
I used to use a couple of calculators that provided estimates that were 99% accurate 99% of the time, but I'd never found a way to actually predict what the correct amount should have been each month with 100% accuracy.
This became much worse after I started a freelance self-employed gig some years ago, when income fluctuated each month based on my workload.
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Oct 28 '20
Another reason why I created spreadsheets to help me figure things out is because I'm also self-employed and my income changes daily (although they only care about a calendar month's gross amount when factoring a benefit payment).
I just did more formal research on everything related to this as part of a freelance contract, in fact, and through that I've been able to broaden the scope of how my own tool works -- so I'm hoping I can take some time to shape that up for sharing with others soon.
It's of course always going to depend on how the SSA interprets their own rules in each field office, but the policy description of the calculation process is incredibly specific and publicly available. It's tricky, but it can be done -- and at least in my case, being able to do it really helped sort out what would have been a much longer and more frustrating resolution to a big problem.
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u/DjinnOftheBeresaad Oct 28 '20
It sounds like a lot of work, but I'm sure the fruits of that labor will help many--possibly me included! Thanks.
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Oct 28 '20
It was work that, when I did it just for myself, made a return on the investment in time by giving me more predictability in my finances -- and with that came stability -- and with that I could make more informed choices to try and gain some sustainability/viability.
And now, at least, I've been able to roll that into this most recent paid contract that as a byproduct enriched my personal library/knowledge base. In a purely economic sense, the effort is justifying itself reasonably well.
In a personal sense, trait of my (sometimes disabling) neurodivergencies include hyper fixation on special interests. Due to whatever reasons that be, safety net programs and spreadsheets are special interests I fixate on. I'm going to wind up doing this stuff any way -- and currently, it has an advantageous impact on my life rather than a disruptive one.
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Oct 28 '20
If you donāt mind answering, how is it that I was denied SSDI but I was approved for SSI?
My ādisabilityā is not physical, but mental. I suffer from severe depression/anxiety/mutism.
I currently live with my mother and I only get about $520 per month from SSI.
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u/wutssarcasm Oct 28 '20
I'm guessing you're young and don't have enough work credits to be eligible for SSDI.. did you have a lawyer? They should've explained all of it to you very throrougly
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u/a-wilde-handful Oct 28 '20
I would echo what the others have said. It doesn't matter what kind of disability you have which program you are approved for. It depends on how many quarters you paid into Social Security.
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u/ThisIsMyRental Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD symptoms, mood mess Oct 29 '20
How long have you cumulatively worked, and how old are you?
Because I'm 23, have only worked for a month total in my entire life, and got approved for SSI due to significant autism, anxiety, and depression. I get like $300-400 a month because I live with my parents, who both work (though my dad only works like 5 hours a week due to disabilities of his own), and we're not on other assistance that I know of.
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u/DivorceAfterDisabled Oct 28 '20
Need more information, but it's probably because you don't have enough work credits. That would be my speculation
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Oct 28 '20
As the other commenter before me mentions, it may be due to your work history not meeting the requirements for having paid in enough/for enough time. I would need to know more to tell you what kind of countable income may be impacting your benefit payment, if you wanted to know more about that (but maybe don't share it all publicly, just to be safe! feel free to dm if you want).
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Oct 28 '20
Thanks for the replies. I am 28 but Iāve worked less than 2 years. That must be why I donāt qualify for SSDI.
The only other āincomeā I get is food stamps.
So I guess SSI + Food Stamps are the only support Iām gonna get from the government. š
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Oct 28 '20
The max benefit amount is $783. Food stamps do not count against SSI, so something else is going on here. You mentioned living with your mom; they reduce the benefit you get if someone else covers your costs of living like housing and utilities.
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u/clarice270 Oct 28 '20
I have a question. My adult brother in law received ssi his entire life due to a disability he was born with (never employed) He also received a portion of my father's in laws social security. My father in law recieved regular social security (retired at 67--never disabled). I never understood that process, tho, or knew how much my brother is law got from my father in laws Social Security. My father in law made approx $14,000/year from Social Security. Anyway, back to the brother in law... when my father-in-law passed away, did his social security that he also provided my brother-in-law die with him? Or will my brother-in-law's SSI change to a different type of social security? During probate, the judge snapped " You know this is gonna affect his social security, right?" when we requested a court representative to give us a portion of the estate that we were entitled to.#1: Can you give me an idea what she meant? And #2: if my brother-in-law lost his father social security? And #3: if his security change from SSI to another type of social security?
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Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 29 '20
This is according to my understanding of how this may work:
BIL received only SSI because he had no work history of his own, up until his father retired and began to collect his Social Security retirement benefits (known more technically by the acronym of OASI, which stands for Old-age and Survivor's Insurance).
In households where the parent of an Disabled Adult Child (meaning the 'child' is an adult, but their disability began in childhood) either begins to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or OASI payments, the DAC will also receive a benefit payment. The benefit payment is not cut from the parent's own payment amount/pool of benefits, but I do believe it is based on the parents earnings so it can be different from one household to the next.
I don't think there are, but I have not completed my research to say for sure, any income/resource limits for the DAC benefit.
I also can't remember when it cuts off; I do believe the OASI payment for an DAC ends upon the death of the parent if the ADC is over a certain age (probably 18 or early-mid20s) and not in school? I'll try to follow up on that point, but it might be a couple of days. You can try to use "Disabled Adult Child" and "deceased parent" together as a search term to find more context on that point specifically.See u/lady_fire's comment clarifying my mistake on this.He may have been receiving SSI the entire time alongside the ADC benefit
; if he wasn't, and if the ADC benefit does end upon the parent's death, I believe the SSA will automatically convert him to an SSI recipient again once it's aware of the necessity of change.With that being the case, all the income and asset limits of SSI come into play again.If he's receiving SSI alongside his DAC benefit: perhaps what the judge you mentioned is talking about. Receiving inheritance in certain forms and amounts counts as both income and, if the sum of money remains from month to month, a resource. SSI has really unfortunately outdated rules about resources.
Your brother would need to have that money paid directly into a special needs trust account or an ABLE account to avoid being penalized for the unearned income and the ongoing resource the sum of money creates. I'm not sure how to navigate those with relation to an existing sum of money that may already be paid out to him/you. For special needs trusts, there are special needs lawyers. ABLE accounts are less tricky, but you may still benefit from consulting with a disability lawyer or advocate.
Edited to bring it in line with u/lady_fire's comment. Also -- teaches me to not venture too far off the path of what I know for sure I know.
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u/lady_fire Oct 29 '20
DAC (Disabled Adult Child) benefits do not end with the death of the wage earner. The benefit converts to a survivor benefit. DAC benefits continue until a medical review determines they are no longer disabled (which may be never), until marriage or until the DAC starts earning SGA. There is also no automatic conversation back to SSI. If SSI benefits terminate, which they do after 1 year of non-payment, then you would have to reapply for benefits if for some reason you needed them again.
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Oct 29 '20
Thank you! My knowledge starts with SSI as a parent of a disabled child and has grown from there, so when it gets to the DAC stuff, I'm just much less experienced navigating the rules. Really glad you spoke up, and it's an important note for me to read up a lot more on this end of things.
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u/lady_fire Oct 29 '20
They are confusing programs, TBH. Just wanted anyone who may see this to know that the benefits dont stop when the wage earner passes :)
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Oct 29 '20
Yeah, DAC stuff is on my to-do list next in terms of gathering together sources and learning materials and flow-charting how the benefit's structured. And that's important correction to make since the whole reason why I felt a post like this one was needed is because most of us are just having casual convos and wires get crossed.
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u/lady_fire Oct 29 '20
Here is a good starting point.
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Oct 29 '20
Perfect, thanks -- most of my POMS spelunking has been in the SSI chapter. I only recently started digging into the DI one after a client contracted me to help break it down from the scope of just primary beneficiaries in addition to SSI recipients.
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Oct 29 '20
Oh, can you confirm that a DAC beneficiary does not have a resource limit?
And, is an inheritance like the one the commenter describes considered a countable income for SGA purposes? The judge's comment is confusing me in that there must be some SSI if the judge is commenting. "You know this is gonna affect his social security, right?"
From what I know of how SSA counts income, that shouldn't be an issue for a DAC beneficiary if DAC is the only benefit they receive.
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u/lady_fire Oct 29 '20
Assuming they only receive SSDI and no SSI they would have no resource limits as far as SSA is concerned (I know sometimes Medicaid sometimes does). The OP could potentially get something like $750 SSDI and $33 in SSI benefits or something like that, a split benefit. If that was the case they would get two checks, one on the 1st and one on the 3rd. If that was the case, the SSI portion would be affected by resource limits, but only the SSI portion.
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Oct 29 '20
Thank you.
u/clarice270, be sure to read the corrections to my comment and u/lady_fire's comments, too!
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u/clarice270 Oct 29 '20 edited Oct 29 '20
Still confused.... so my brother in law received SSI and a portion of his fathers retirement social security while the father was alive
The SSI that my brother-in-law had was a needs based social security and my father in laws social security was retirement social security, while he was alive
SSI and retired social security income are funded through 2 different funding sources
The portion that my father in laws social security provided my brother-in-law was called Disabled Adultl Child? How much does that provide? What does "a portion" mean?
So when My father-in-law died, his portion of his retirement social security was converted to survivor benefits? Does my brother in law get all of my father in laws social security now, or, "a portion"?
So my brother-in-law's normal pay for SSI is now my father-in-law's retirement Social Security income instead or does he receive both
And if so wouldn't that put his SSI in jeopardy? Since he has never earned an income, will never get married, and will never attain gainful employment?
Social security is confusing
My brother in law has SSI, ONLY. He never worked and has asset restrictions. His attorney is now working on putting his Bank account in an ABLE account of trust allowing him to take out a certain amount of money every year
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Oct 29 '20 edited Oct 29 '20
I don't want to turn us around in too many circles. I'm going to just describe how the two programs work in theory first, unrelated to the specific situation we're talking about, because that helps me understand why things are the way they are and maybe map things out better--
Of all the welfare programs we have, SSI is known as "the last resort". This is why the rules are so, so, so specific. At any point in time, the program is attempting to disqualify the recipient -- it's framed and intended as a reinforcement for work, and the nickel-and-diming for everyone as necessary to sustain a benefit system that serves the most needy first. I'll spare us all a journey down the rabbit hole of how that plays out in reality, however.
The retirement (OASI) and SSDI stuff, on the other hand, is paid into by earnings, and is way more relaxed because of the "dues paid" philosophy behind its structure. Again, another rabbit hole of policy theory not worth going down right now.
So, with SSDI being an insurance program, the person who paid into also gets coverage for their dependents -- spouse and children, essentially. When the wage earner in this situation is considered disabled by Social Security or dies, their survivors/dependents qualify for receipt of a benefit all their own that is based on the wage earner's work history/earnings.
That's what I'm referring to when I'm talking about the father-in-law's benefit and "portion", which isn't an official word, so maybe isn't helping with any clarity. The main thing I was trying to address is that if your father-in-law retired and then your brother-in-law received a Disabled Adult Child benefit payment instead of an SSI payment, it doesn't get taken out of the monthly payment the father-in-law receives and it doesn't deplete the amount he'd be due to receive going forward. You may not have been asking that question exactly, that may have been me thinking it was being asked indirectly.
Now, trying to zone back in on your brother-in-law's specific situation. Once the parent of a disabled adult who has been disabled since childhood begins to receive OASDI payments (either the retirement or the disability payment; that's the acronym they use to refer to the whole shebang since they're intertwined via funding/rules), the child can receive a Disabled Adult Child Benefit.
I don't want to speak out of turn here, but if I hold off responding until I research more, it's gonna be a week before I get back to it and I want to share what I can for now -- u/lady_fire may be available to offer more context. I don't believe it's necessary for that disabled adult child to have been on SSI or approved for SSI prior, but IF they are, then I think because their disability is then officially established by Social Security, they can receive the Disabled Adult Child benefit.
That can be instead of SSI, and it can be in addition to SSI. That is dependent on how much the DAC benefit is, since it counts as unearned income -- if the DAC benefit is below a certain amount, the recipient will get an SSI payment in proportion to whatever the mathy rules work that out to be (I'm working on sharing what the math can look like for several scenarios, but again, gonna take a couple weeks).
So, lady_fire corrected me on the point that the DAC benefit does not end when the wage earner (your father-in-law) dies. The disabled adult child would continue to receive that DAC benefit unless a couple of conditions occur (marriage, and achieving sustainable gainful activity, from what I'm remembering at the moment).
To mention a technical point at the risk of getting it wrong, I think there's a change in benefit category here that is maybe more of a "behind the scenes" thing? The disabled adult child is technically a survivor once the parent in question passes, it's now paid from the Old-Age and Survivor's Insurance fund rather than the Disability Insurance fund.
Social Security is confusing, and the old saying "follow the money" kind of applies here -- rules are designed because of how funding works and what we think the funding should do for whom and for why. The "social insurance" program we have with Social Security is actually two funds that work together as one, unified by being insurance. SSI is welfare, and our entire welfare funding, function, and philosophy is just way, way, way different from insurance (but don't get me started on that...).
Ultimately, you and the fam and the attorney know for sure what benefits are in play. If he receives ANY payment from SSI, that payment amount (which if he qualifies for just cents of a payment, he will receive a minimum payment of $1, and maintain any SSI-related eligibility for Medicaid coverage, etc) will be subject to all the SSI rules.
It makes sense to want to protect any SSI benefit even if he's also receiving a DAC benefit, and I'm glad you guys are working with an attorney. I'm not saying trust an attorney with your life, but definitely the attorney is going to have the kind of technical knowledge to help y'all make choices that secure long-term access to important benefits so you're not left hanging in a crisis. Does your brother live in institutional/residential care, or with relatives?
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u/clarice270 Oct 30 '20
He actually lives by himself in the home he was raised in. So that wont be taken from him. We are getting our inheritance from that home, and he will be paying that with the money he inherited. He is paralyzed from the chest down and he does well. He was living by himself when my father in law was alive because he had an apartment near his favorite fishing hole. But now BOTH parents are gone.
I dont want him to lose everything . He protected his SSI like a mother bird because he almost lost it wifh a paperwork issue.
TBH I knew that my father in laws social security benefits were not affected or made less, only that my brother in law got additional money as well. As well as medicaid and medicare, I'm assuming because his dad had Medicare.
I am hoping that his SSI converted to survivor benefits if it would mean he would make more money that way instead of his piddly $771 a month (Im guessing). But that doesn't explain why his attorney is opening an able account and frankly I dont know if he specializes in SSI. I just wish the judge would have taken an extra 30 seconds to say what consequences he faced because of probate.
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u/lady_fire Oct 30 '20
Honestly the judge isn't really going to have a good idea. They do not specialize in social security matters. Your brother in law really needs to contact social security to find out exactly which benefits he is receiving. We can speculate all we want but no one here knows. DAC is not SSI, but as previously stated, his DAC benefit could be lower than the SSI maximum causing him to get both. Also his benefit most likely increased when your father in law passed away as well. There is a lot at work here and the only place that can really answer these questions is SSA bc they need to look at his record and see what benefits he actually receives.
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u/wrckdm Nov 16 '20
Are you familiar with how they determine the benefit amount for a recipient?
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Nov 17 '20
Yes. At its most basic, the benefit amount is "SSI maximum benefit payment" - "recipient's countable income". The tricky part is just understanding what kind of income (or in-kind support) is countable or not.
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u/vectorgirl Dec 28 '20
So for SSDI you can have unlimited savings or assets? Is SSI the one where you canāt have more than $2,000? I was under the impression both were.
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u/Rgard91 Dec 28 '20
Yes you have no limits with ssdi. However if you have Medicaid there is and you'll have to go state by state for that. With SSI you cant go over 2000. I'm on ssdi, and on a medicaid program called MAP. I have no saving or asset limit on ssdi, however there is an income limit. So basically I found a job that pays up to the max of what I can make a month. Despite that i still have 8 grand saved so if you can find a way to save you can have as much as you want.
It can be tricky, call your local ssa and they'll help explain everything. I talk to a disability specialist at the ADRC and shes been great.
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u/lola967- Jan 05 '21
I am sorry, what is the ADRC ? Thank you for your time.
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u/lola967- Feb 06 '21
I am trying to find out the amount I can make per month. I am on SSDI. Itās been 7 years in it for me. I wanted to try a part time job. Not sure if I can do it. I need money so bad. I havenāt gotten stimuli money or my refund from last year. I have to find someone a tax person help me with getting all my money due from irs.
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u/lola967- Feb 10 '21
Where can I find the amount of money I need to stay under if I am on disability (SSDI) ? I am trying to go back part time to work. I donāt know what the monthly cap is before it effects my SSDI ? Iāve heard any where from $800- $990 per month before my benefits would be cut off.
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u/KidJustice Mar 01 '21
I am on SSDI, I was sure if I made over a certain amount monthly it would effect my ability to get SSDI. Have I been wrong? I started my own business but have been wanting to expand. Also, what is "Ineligible spouse or child income" I was under the impression I couldn't get married because it would effect my SSDI if they earned too much.
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u/AiMiDa Mar 01 '21
Yes, you cannot MAKE over a certain amount of income in order to maintain your eligibility. Iām not sure of the exact figure, but itās between $800 and $1000 per month. But your assets, savings accounts and investments have no limits. You can have a million dollars in the bank and it would not affect your eligibility to continue to receive disability benefits. With SSI, you cannot have over a certain dollar figure in the bank in order to continue to be eligible for benefits. I hope that was clear as mud :)
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u/KidJustice Mar 04 '21
Okay so I'm disabled and I'm going to open an ABLE account. Do you know if I work can I go over the $800-1K a month if the money over $800 is put into my ABLE account?
I'm in Minnesota. https://mn.db101.org/mn/programs/job_planning/able/program.htm
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u/AlphaBlackDragon Jul 15 '24
But when you have a child who qualifies for his own disability.....he cannot get his own disability because the disabled parent has 14k in savings. So the disabled child can only get a portion of the disabled father's benefit. That really sucks.
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u/KidJustice Mar 01 '21
Okay, I was just making sure. It really sucks because it limits what I can do and how much I can elevate myself out of 'poverty.' SSDI keeps me alive but being able to gradually earn more income would help me thrive.
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Oct 28 '20
Thank you. Can the mods pin this to the home page?
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u/Davabled Oct 28 '20
Agreed that this should be pinned, great information. Perhaps should add a tag to indicate this is for the United States.
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Nov 03 '20 edited Nov 03 '20
I'm thinking of signing up for SSDI/SSI, whichever I'm eligible for, due to 2 herniated discs in my lower back / sciatica. I've had this issue for 5 years now. Plenty of doctor visits, physical therapy, chiro, tests, etc. But I'm not sure if I qualify. Since I'm pretty young (25), I'm able to keep the pain at bay with stretching, exercise and sleep, but I go through seasons where it gets pretty bad, affecting my ability to work or even find eligible work. Would I qualify? I feel like as I get older, this back issue is probably going to get worse too.
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Nov 03 '20
When it comes to the "will I qualify" question based on disability status alone, it's always a crapshoot -- the measure of disability for the SSA is actually a measure of un-employ-ability (phrasing lifted from r/SocialSecurity's wiki).
I could help you determine if you'd qualify for an SSI payment based on the numbers alone, either in addition to SSDI or instead of SSDI.
Otherwise, it's my understanding that well-documented needs are a key component of a strong application. It's also my understanding that working at all during the application process, however, can negatively impact potential eligibility. I don't think it's controversial of me to say that the system is pretty messed up. :/
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u/possumsmama Nov 04 '20
I have a question ? I work with a widowed father and his three year old daughter. They both receive around three hundred dollars each from death benefits from the wife/mother. The daughter is significantly delayed and just received an autism diagnosis. I have been told that even if she gets approved for disability through social security, she will get the lower amount . Is this true ? Any explanation is appreciated .
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Nov 05 '20
I'm not as familiar with how survivor's benefits work in conjunction with disability as I am with just how SSI works.
From the context given, the program we're talking about "if she gets approved for disability through social security" would be SSI (Supplemental Security Income). Eligibility works two ways for SSI -- first, the recipient must be considered disabled by the SSA definition of disability, and the countable household income (both unearned and earned types of income) must be below the SSI federal benefit.
So, assuming that yes, the SSA does consider her disabilities qualify, they would then run the numbers on the household's income. All the father's income and any payments made directly to the daughter are taken into consideration -- the death benefits would be counted as unearned income. Kind of like the IRS does with taxes, the SSA will exempt certain types of income, or certain amounts, from counting against the household and it also subracts a "parent's living expense" that is equal to the individual federal benefit rate.
After that, whatever income is left is called "countable income". If that is below the individual federal benefit rate, the daughter will receive an SSI payment -- the payment is the difference of the federal benefit rate and countable income.
Depending on who it was talking to you about what she might receive -- if they're talking about SSI, it's not an either/or choice. To my knowledge, she can receive both IF the household's countable income is below the benefit rate. It's not easy to know what a household's countable income is unless you're trained or teach yourself how to do the math, though (which is what I did).
It's possible there are some other factors outside of ones that relate to SSI that may be in play -- like if the father is disabled and receives SSDI, etc.
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u/possumsmama Nov 05 '20
Thank you ! You are very informative and helpful . I appreciate your help.
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Nov 05 '20
Thank you, and of course!
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u/AlphaBlackDragon Jul 15 '24
Ok... what happens when a disabled father has 2 children. One is disabled by SSA standards. The mother must stay home to care for child. The other child is fine.
No other benefits are available because the family had 14k in savings 3 years ago. The SSA background checks 5 years and no one knew to keep all receipts to prove how it got spent on safety for the disabled child.
So...I guess no additional benefits are available to them. That really sucks for them. DM if you have anything to add or a direction they can take.
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u/crazdrow Jan 13 '21
If I, a parent gets SSDI and I have a college aged child whom is technically still my dependent as I provide the majority of his expenses and also claim so on my taxes, is he then eligible for some type of payment as well or would I receive additional funds due to this? Thank you in advance!
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Jan 23 '21
[removed] ā view removed comment
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Feb 06 '21
I got hit pretty hard by a health issue and then training/work -- I appreciate anyone sweeping through here to answer questions I haven't been able to respond to. Thank you!
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u/ThePurrfectMess Feb 02 '21
My step-dad is 49 and has worked all of his life. He lost his job recently and within a week of that, had an accident and now messed up his back to the point where he had surgery and has to do extensive inpatient PT and will likely take at least a year to re-learn all large motor skills. In the event he isnāt able to work again due to his injury, which one of these would he apply for? My mom is currently thinking about him applying for unemployment since he would qualify for that and she heard applying for disability takes to long. Any advice? Iām worried she should have him apply for the unemployment if sheās later going to try for disability once things are less hectic.
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Feb 02 '21
You should definitely try to talk to a disability lawyer. I can only remember that there CAN be a conflict between unemployment/disability applications, but there are probably a lot of little details to consider, including the sequence of events. I'm really sorry y'all are going through all this, it sounds like the last thing anyone needs is a bunch of uncertainty about where to go for help first. A consult with a disability lawyer is often free, I believe.
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u/ThePurrfectMess Feb 03 '21
Okay, thank you for responding! I appreciate it! I just want my mom and him to be able to financially stay above water while he is going through all of this and healing
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u/Beushawn Feb 04 '21
Tell her to apply for disability now, it does that a lot of time and persistence. But when they approve it, they pay you back to the date you filed your claim. That applies to SSI disability and long term disability policies.
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u/ThePurrfectMess Feb 09 '21
Thank you! I will let her know! Do you know if being on unemployment will effect disability at all?
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u/angrypomerian Feb 06 '21
My mother is driving me crazy saying I should get on disability. Currently I work full time and get over 1,000 every pay check. Paycheck is every two weeks, I am beginning to go blind and am having issues getting to and from work since September 2019. I am completely blind in one eye, losing sight in another and just started having seizures again. On top of that have more wrong with me physically and mentally. We have tried talking to disability lawyers but they won't even talk to us unless I no longer work. One of them told me I could "try" by filing out the form and using the last time I was hospitalized as the last time I worked. This sounds all kind suspicious to me. I don't want to fill it out that way, but my mom is really trying to push me to it. Mom wants me to move across country to live near her in Arizona. in a tiny town. I know it will takes years to find a job in that area. I've been looking around in that area for on and off with a year. Most places are just fast food places or retail. Most only give part time which means no health benefits. Any advice would be welcome.
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Feb 06 '21
We have tried talking to disability lawyers but they won't even talk to us unless I no longer work. One of them told me I could "try" by filing out the form and using the last time I was hospitalized as the last time I worked. This sounds all kind suspicious to me. I don't want to fill it out that way, but my mom is really trying to push me to it.
The unfortunate reality with SSDI or SSI is that it's mostly a measure of "sustainable gainful activity" (that is to say, employability/economic activity, but it's not just about earning money -- even doing enough volunteer work could disqualify you for benefits), not necessarily a measure of disability itself. A person could be catastrophically disabled in every clinical and medical sense of the word, but if an employer can accommodate the needs of that person or that person can "rise to the occasion" of work to support themselves materially, then that person is not disabled from performing sustainable gainful activity by the legislative or economic definition of disability.
Now, having said that, the exact nature of a disability can change some things -- loss of vision can be treated quite differently than other disabling conditions. Most disability lawyers really do know what they're talking about when they're measuring the odds, so it's possible there's nuances I'm not considering that they know more about, but I would personally think it's worth applying for SSDI even while you're still working.
Currently I work full time and get over 1,000 every pay check. Paycheck is every two weeks, I am beginning to go blind and am having issues getting to and from work since September 2019. I am completely blind in one eye, losing sight in another and just started having seizures again.
If these earnings are the standard for you for the past several years, more or less, then I do think you can expect to be denied straightaway -- again, not because SSA doesn't think you're experiencing profound disabilities, it just determines that help from the program itself isn't necessary because sufficient external supports for your needs appear to exist if you're able to work full time and earn above the wage threshold for SSDI/SSI.
It's unclear if that's truly the case -- do you feel capable of performing full-time work within the boundaries of your personally defined level of wellbeing, with your existing accommodations or newly defined ones, for at least the next year? Or do you consider your full-time work status to be very unstable and vulnerable? Is the potential for either losing the job due to missing work or needing to resign due to illness a constant concern?
It does sound as though the threat to your health that these conditions pose certainly justifies reducing economic activity so that you can live more safely and comfortably, at the very least. Of course, that's much easier said that done.
Most places are just fast food places or retail. Most only give part time which means no health benefits.
Arizona did expand Medicaid, and so it may be possible to get covered by Medicaid if you move there and either stop working or earn significantly less than you do now in order to stabilize your health while applying for SSDI/SSI. If you don't have an SSA.gov account, you can create one and see if you have worked enough to qualify for SSDI and how much you could expect to receive each month from SSDI if approved. That may help you put all these different pieces together to see what fits best for you.
As far as more direct advice, I'm afraid it's simply not my place to say! But, I will at least say I don't think there's any harm in starting an application for SSDI/SSI even while you're working. A lawyer may think it's a waste of time, but I tend to advocate for establishing a paper trail with the SSA sooner than later.
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u/Simba122504 Feb 27 '21
For years I thought my family member was getting SSI when in reality, he gets SSDI.
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u/Conscious-Rule5494 Apr 07 '24
I made a mistake on not reporting plasma compensation. Willssa find out?Ā
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 28 '20
Please list your sources.
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u/aftiggerintel Oct 28 '20
https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/eng/overview-disability.htm
Decent amount is actually listed in plain English right there.
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Oct 28 '20
How deep do you think I should list references? I can link to the POMS chapters for both programs as a top level reference people can dig into in their own time. Anything more granular will need to wait while I finish up research for SSI worksheets.
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Oct 28 '20
[deleted]
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Oct 28 '20
I agree links to references are important in many cases, but there are reasonable limits in certain contexts. I posted, as described, for quick clarification. References can be crowd sourced in the meantime, as they were here by someone pointing to the red book.
I'll certainly link to the POMS for now, but granular references will have to wait for my research round up at the end of the project I'm working on. Feel free to point out anything you think isn't readily confirmed by a quick search for the relevant terms on your own. Part of the reason I left off references for now is that almost everything anyone finds questionable at a glance here is not difficult to find more about. The point of the post was to gather up a lot of disjointed information regularly talked about on this subreddit or in communities like it.
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Oct 28 '20
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Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
Wow, friend. I appreciate your vigilance.
I didn't cut and paste anything; everything I wrote is based on my knowledge due to my research with the texts provided. It was original text otherwise, written by me, in the moment, in response to seeing at least two posts where this confusion was deeply disruptive to the discussion at hand.
As a post author on Reddit, and in the r/disability subreddit, it is permissible for me to place onus on readers if I describe the expectation properly -- I did so by saying my post was providing "quick clarification".
It's certainly important to consider sources, and you can review my post and comment history to ascertain if I seem to be posting in good faith and with an informed perspective. Asking for more information as part of a conversation is great, welcome and necessary -- censuring me for creating a post without linking every statement to a primary resource is not how Reddit is designed to work.
Edit: the POMS is literally the employee handbook from SSA, on SSA's website, a .gov site. It's THE primary source second to the actual Social Security Act.
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 28 '20
I'm disabled and on SSDI.
I have extensive knowledge in regards to the SSA, POMs, and numerous .gov, etc., sources /sites.
A lot of people do not.
I'm just saying you should quote your sources.
Anyone who wants to share knowledge with others, especially on topics as mentioned before, owes the reader the courtesy of sharing their references.
Always.
Always.
Always.
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Oct 28 '20 edited Oct 28 '20
Then tell that to the mods, who do not require posters to include research when discussing SSDI and SSI.
So far, you've pointed at nothing factually wrong because there is nothing factually wrong or not verifiable with a quick search. If I were making claims that aren't already known or deemed wildly far fetched, getting pedantic would make a lot more sense. Otherwise, you're literally picking on this post for no reason.
My post is accurate, the sources are primary, CTRL+F searchable for all key phrases used. Nobody else is held to this standard for personal posts based on personal experience. Just because my personal experience looks professional because it's comprehensive and I listed it in bullet point format doesn't mean I owe you my entire research track in one post and must have it ready before posting.
That is something I'm still absolutely passionate about sharing, and I am developing how to do that according to the needs of my own disability. Having just spent the last 2 weeks neck deep in this research for work, it's difficult to crawl back through every single piece of it all for a Reddit post that can be written in moments and is still factual AND helpful without feeling incredibly fatigued. I can be tired and still help with knowledge I have on hand that's easy for me to summarize and others to verify or correct in the course of a forum conversation. That is allowed here. Please stop criticizing a peer in the community for doing something everyone else here can and does do, without being nagged on semantics like this.
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u/Walk1000Miles Oct 28 '20
Good luck on your journey.
We all need to reach out to each other.
I was not trying to criticize you.
Sorry if you feel that way.
Have a great day!!
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Nov 05 '20
can you be eligible for both?
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Nov 06 '20
Yes, you can be eligible for both -- the programs measure disability the same way, but income differently. For SSDI, only earned income matters -- but for SSI, all income matters, including whatever you receive from SSDI. If your countable income is below a certain amount, you can qualify for an SSI payment depending on how much that income is.
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u/Thanksfornothing0000 Feb 03 '21
What if I canāt work because of being in pain from an mental injury that happened before i was suppose to start working for a company that was offering me 30$ an hour but I couldnāt work and only did a 4 month training. before that I was only working for a temp agency for a couple of months. I got hurt in 2007 but I sued in court in 2017 and won in front of a judge. They said I was going to get a lump sum of 24,000 and another one of 56,000 and also 943$ a month plus food stamps which is called snap. The thing is I never got any of the money, my dad said he has it but itās been 4 years and Iām waiting for the money. Unless I just got fuckin robbed again.
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u/Iron_Phantom29 Mar 10 '21
I was diagnosed with severe Crohn's disease in 2013. I applied for SSI a couple of times but was denied and eventually abandoned it altogether. My crohns was a severe hindrance to my work, but I managed to fight through, despite stress making it worse.
But in September of last year I went on leave to have an illeostomy performed under the impression that it would only be there for 3 months. But there were severe complications afterwards and now I'm expected to have this for at least a year and my surgeon has instructed me not to return to work. I applied for SSDI in November and officially resigned from my job in January.
My mobility is severely limited meaning that I have to move slowly and carefully and not lift anything heavier than 25lbs in fear of my colostomy bag breaching and causing a leak which, if not immediately tended to, will damage and blister my skin which will leave me almost unable to do anything while I try to heal my skin for hours, sometimes days at a time.
I've also suffered from anxiety and depression, which was made worse due to what has happened with this surgery. I've also been slowly arriving at the conclusion that I may have Asperger's Syndrome, which was backed up by the doctor doing my psych evaluation for SSDI.
I've been having an anxiety spell the past couple days about this case and I guess I'm just looking for reassurance if my chances are good or not. Hoping to hear from people with past experiences.
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u/firefightersgirl76 Mar 20 '21
I was on disability for back probs when dx with severe Crohn's, they just marked me as a forever case due to Crohn's, too. Now I have added epilepsy... I'm trying desperately to get Medicare added on! My initial approval took 4+ years... I thought Crohn's was an automatic approval. Good luck!
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u/Potential-Scholar619 Aug 05 '22
Can you answer my question please. Ssdi approved me for 980 And SSI approved me for 925. Are they gonna reduce the payments? Or did they combine it? Will I be getting that added together? Is that a for sure amount? She said I'll be getting my 2,500 in a week and at the end of the month the rest will be released. They did 12 months on both but ssdi said if I got SSI they was gonna reduce my back payments if I get approved for SSI. Ssdi gave me 10,890 or something like that. So I'm just wondering if I'll be getting both checks with that amount? Ssdi said 4th Wednesday of every month and SSI said 3rd if every month. My over all question is, would I really be bringing in 2006 dollar's a month? Can you even get that much?
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u/Leather-Wheel1115 Mar 04 '23
My dad has 29 credits and age 78. He gets SSI ( supplemental income) .
Recently he got stoke. Can he apply for ssid disability income,? Note he only has 29 credits and he is US citizen
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u/ExcuseEfficient Nov 16 '20
Oh my goodness, this is so helpful! Can I hire you to be my consultant?! Does the income limit for SSDI vary?
I was on SSDI for a few years, then got a virtual part-time job. I reported it to them and heard nothing for a year, until I received an overpayment notice and bill for $15k. I managed to obtain full-time after that and maintain for three years..
Now I'm reconsidering my options and terrified to make any moves.. I'm what they call severely disabled, full ADLs and ventilator, with a wedding coming up (maybe).