What Is Social Security Disability?

The Social Security Disability Insurance Benefit (SSDI or DIB) is part of the social insurance program administered by the Social Security Administration. People are most familiar with the retirement portion of this program. A working person who reaches retirement age can automatically draw his or her Retirement Insurance Benefit from this program. However, a working person who becomes disabled before reaching full-retirement age can also draw this benefit when he or she meets certain criteria. In order to qualify for SSDI, most people must:

• work prior to becoming disabled

• earn a minimum number of work credits during the course of his or her working life

• earn a minimum number of credits in the years immediately preceding his or her date of disability

A person accrues credits by earning wages or self-employment income and by paying Social Security taxes on those wages or income. For someone 30 years or older, the general rule of thumb is that you must have five good years of earnings in the ten years before you became disabled.

Sometimes a person qualifies for insurance benefits because another family member has worked, even if the qualifying person has not worked. These benefits are often called auxiliary or survivor’s benefits. A surviving widow or widower may qualify for benefits. Children of a disabled worker may qualify for benefits as well. In some cases an adult child can qualify for benefits on a parents Social Security account if he or she became disabled prior to age 22 and has not married.

If you are wondering whether you might qualify for SSDI benefits, call Jarvis & Modun for a free consultation.