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There are several different types of benefits available through the Social Security Administration. If you meet the requirements that the Administration has set forth, you may qualify to receive benefits.

Types of Disability Assistance

The types of Social Security benefits available are:

  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – this form of assistance is the most important type available from the Social Security Administration. This benefit can be given to a disabled person who has worked a fulltime job in the recent years prior to their disability. The Administration usually requires the applicant to have worked for five out of the last ten years prior to them becoming disabled.
  • Disabled Widows and Widower’s benefits – these benefits are available for individuals who are 50 years or older and have lost a spouse within the last seven years, prior to their disability. It is important to note that the deceased spouse must have been employed long enough to have contributed to Social Security.
  • Child’s Disability benefits – this is a form of Social Security Insurance that gives financial aid to disabled children, age 17 and younger. The rules that the Administration uses to assess the child’s disability are different than those for adults. The child must have a condition that mentally or physically impairs functional development. The disabled child’s household income must not exceed a certain amount.
  • Disabled Adult Child benefits – this type of Social Security benefit is for children who are over 18 and have become disabled before they turned 22. It also applies to children who are in full-time school, both elementary and secondary, under the age of 19. In order for the child to qualify, their parent(s), if living, must be eligible for disability benefits. If the parent(s) are deceased, they must have been contributing to Social Security for a long enough period of time for the child to gain benefits.
  • Supplemental Social Security Income benefits – these benefits are given to people who are financially challenged and disabled. Under this form of benefit, Social Security does not require them to have worked in the past.

Facts about Social Security Disability

There are some interesting facts about Social Security Disability that not everyone may be aware of:

  • The chances of becoming disabled are much higher than you would expect. Past studies have shown that an individual who has been working for 20 years has a 3-out-of-10 chance that they will be disabled prior to reaching retirement age.
  • Each person should receive a yearly statement from the Social Security Administration that shows how many years you have worked, including the amount of money that you have paid into Social Security and the amount of benefits that would qualify for, should you become disabled.
  • Many people don’t realize that they might qualify for spousal benefits if they are a widow or widower or have been divorced, but not remarried. If you are a widow or widower, it is important to make a claim to the Administration within the seven years following their death.
  • If you are an adult child over 18 years of age and were disabled prior to turning 22, you may qualify to receive disability benefits based on your parent’s benefits.
  • If you’re on Social Security Disability, you’re also entitled to Medicare benefits. These benefits can be received after two years from your date of disability. If you don’t have access to medical attention during that two year window, you may also qualify for Medicaid benefits, which will stay effective through the point when you being receiving Medicare.
  • You can receive Social Security benefits for the rest of your life, or until you are able to work regularly.

If you believe that you qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits, please contact our Social Security Disability lawyers today to learn more about how we can help you. Jacoby & Meyers has offices throughout the U.S.