Social Security Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a program that provides benefits for disabled workers who have held a job subject to the Social Security system for a required period of time. In general, workers must be employed for five of the last 10 years to be eligible for SSDI.
To qualify for SSD benefits, you must have paid FICA taxes, which is a federal payroll deduction that funds Social Security and Medicare.
SSDI is different from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a form of disability income that is based on financial need. SSI programs provide assistance, through the form of payments, to aged, blind and disabled persons.
Although these programs are similar, their eligibility requirements are different in several important ways.
Applying for SSDI and SSI can be complicated. According to nearly decade-old data* from the U.S. Social Security Administration:
- Less than 30 percent of initial disabled-worker applications were approved, on average.
- The percentage of applicants awarded at the reconsideration rates averaged between 3 percent and 13 percent.
- Denied disability claims averaged more than 50 percent.
*(For claims filed from 2001-2010)
An attorney who is experienced in Social Security law can assist with the application and reconsideration process for SSDI and SSI.
If you or a loved one has been denied Social Security or Disability benefits, contact us for a free initial consultation.