SSI or SSDI?

Hi, this is Don Jorgensen again with MySocialSecurityAttorney.com and this… today’s topic is going to be Social Security Disability Benefits, SSDI vs. SSI, what’s best for me?

Now, in order to understand Social Security, or SSI vs. SSDI, let me take a step back. Social Security, everyone knows or most people know about Social Security retirement. What most people don’t know is that there’s a whole other area of Social Security which is for disability. It’s a safety net for society and that safety net is broken up into two different parts. One is SSI Disability and one is Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Now, what’s the difference? From a disability standpoint, they’re exactly the same. In other words, the proof required for SSI is the same as SSDI, but the non-medical proof is what they’re different or where they differ.

Let’s start with SSDI or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Now, again, we’re not talking about the medical proof, we’ll talk about it in a minute. It’s the non-medical proof that we’re talking about.

SSDI, if you as an employee have been working fulltime for five out of the last 10 years, then your employer has been paying into the Social Security for you and what’s been happening is you’ve been purchasing essentially an insurance policy in the event you become disabled, and now that you’re disabled, now that you can’t work, that’s when that insurance policy is due and you can collect on it.

Here’s the catch, once you stop working, your insurance policy only continues for five years. Once that five years is up, you no longer are insured.

SSDI offers monthly income based on how much money you paid into the system. It could be anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars all the way up to, you know, more than $2,000 depending on how much you’re paying over the last, you know, five to ten years of your career.

You also can be eligible for Medicare. Now, with Medicare, you have to be found disabled for two years before you would receive the medical insurance portion of SSDI. Other than that, you know, those are the main things you receive, the monthly income and the medical insurance. But if you’re like most people, what you really want is good medical insurance and enough money to survive each month. That’s what SSDI will offer you. So if you’ve paid into this system, then you would qualify non-medically.

Now, step away from that for a minute. What is SSI? SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income. It’s just that, it’s a supplement and so if you have income coming in from somewhere else, then the amount of money SSI pays would be an offset, in other words, you would receive that much less from SSI. So let’s just say, for example, you’re receiving child support of $500 a month, well, that would be $500 less per month you’ll receive in the event you’ll receive SSI because it’s a supplement.

Okay, but how do you qualify for SSI? For SSI, it’s a need-based program and if you have no income or very little income and your assets, your wealth is less than $2,000 for an individual or, if you’re married, less than $3,000, then you probably qualify for SSI benefits on a non-medical.

So what’s better for you, SSI or SSDI? Well, when you go down to Social Security Administration to apply, if you qualify for SSDI, then they’re going to apply you… they’re going to do an application for SSDI. If you qualify for SSI, they’ll give you an application for that. If you qualify for both, they’re going to apply you for both.

So you don’t really have to make that determination, but the problem comes when you have assets and you have maybe a little bit of income and you make your application, then the person with Social Security will only apply you for SSDI, but then if your situation changes while you’re waiting for the decision and now you have no income, you’ve sold everything, then now you would qualify for SSI if you applied.

If your situation changes, in other words, then you need to make sure and go down to Social Security Administration and make sure they have an SSI claim pending for you also and you can have both claims going at the same time. You can have one denied and one approved, that’s not uncommon, but the big difference is with SSDI, you’ll receive monthly income based on the amount of money you put into the system and after two years of being disabled, you’ll receive Medicare.

Now, SSI, you’ll receive your monthly income and Medi-Cal, which is California’s version of Medicaid. Now, if you’re living outside of California, then if you’re receiving SSDI, you would receive your monthly income and Medicare, but if you’re SSI, you’ll receive your monthly income and Medicaid.

I know there’s little distinction, but California does some of its own programs, but those are the big differences with SSI vs. SSDI. If you have any further questions, please visit our website at www.mysocialsecurityattorney.com or you can look at the side information panel, you can get our website and our phone number. We’re happy to answer any questions and that we’re here for you. We really do want to help you directly or indirectly.

Comments

• Settle Tax Debt Fast!

  
  
  

• Recent Comments

  • scotty on How To Claim Your $250 Stimulus Check… Not!
  • Check Cash Advance on Obama Stimulus Package Comes With Tax Credits & Free Cash
  • Kenneth Cole on Free $250 Stimulus Check For Social Security Recipients Who Don’t Work
  • justice on Social Security Increases for 2010 and 2012 Uncertain; Stimulus Check Coming In 2009
  • JUDITH DUNBRACK\ on When will my Social Security Stimulus Check arrive?

• Tags

  $250 ALLSUP Baby Boomers Barack Obama Benefits Check COLA Congress death index Disability FAQ Fraud Free Money Future Health Care History Investing Job Lawyers Medicaid Medicare NCPSSM Obama Poll Privatization Recovery Reform Retirement Retirement Age Scam Social Security Social Security Number Social Security Reform Social Security Trust Fund ss SS Card SSI SSN Stimulus Stimulus Check Stimulus Payment Surplus Taxes Trust Fund Work

• Get Foreclosure Help