Disabled Worker
- When you work for a living, Social Security
taxes (FICA) are withheld from your paycheck just like federal
and state taxes are withheld. You are only eligible for Disability
Insurance Benefits if you have paid a certain amount
of Social Security tax over a period of time.
For a person over 30 years of age to be insured for Disability
Insurance Benefits, the person must have paid FICA
in at least twenty calendar quarters during the forty calendar
quarters immediately before your total disability
began. In other words, you must have worked and paid Social
Security tax for five out of the last ten years before
you became totally disabled. Worker's who become disabled
before age 31 need fewer quarters. Currently,
(year 2000) one must pay taxes on $780 of earnings a quarter
to earn a quarter of coverage. Thus a person who earns and
pays taxes on $3,120 in the year 2000 has 4 quarters credited
to their account. The amount necessary for a quarter of coverage
increases virtually every year.
A person must prove that he or she became disabled while
disability insurance coverage was in force or you are not
entitled to Disability Insurance Benefits,
no matter how serious the medical condition is now.
Moral of the story is to apply as soon as you can no longer
work, if you feel the disability will last at least 12 months.
If your Disability Insurance Benefits claim
is approved, the monthly payment you will receive is set by
your earnings (and Social Security tax payments)
during your working career. There is no minimum rate. The
maximum a person can receive at this time is $1,433 per month.
The Medicare card is available to the disabled worker 24 months
after the worker becomes ELIGIBLE to receive benefits.
Dependent children - under the age of 18 of a disabled worker
are also entitled to receive benefits but do not receive the
Medicare card.
Disabled Widow/Widower Benefits (DWB) -
This is a special disability benefit for certain widows and
widowers, based on the Social Security tax
paid by his or her deceased spouse. In order to qualify, you
must be between the ages of 50 and 60, and have been married
for at least 10 years to the person who was covered under
Social Security at the time of his or her
death. Also, you must have proof that your disability was
severe enough to meet these rules within seven years of your
spouse's death, with some exceptions for those already receiving
other kinds of Social Security benefits.
If you are awarded DWB benefits, your monthly rate is determined
by your spouse's income and Social Security
tax payments. However, a surviving spouse's pension can usually
be paid at the age of 60 regardless of any disability.
Disabled Adult Child Benefits (DAC) - To
be eligible, you must be an unmarried child of a person already
receiving Disability Insurance Benefits or
Retirement Benefits, or who died while covered for Social
Security. You must be at least 18 years old, and
you must prove your total disability began before the month
you turned age 22, and is continuing. The monthly benefit
rate is based on a percentage of the parent's rate.
Disability Insurance Benefits & Social Security
- When you work for a living, Social Security
taxes (FICA) are withheld from your paycheck just like federal
and state taxes are withheld. You are only eligible for Disability
Insurance Benefits if you have paid a certain amount
of Social Security tax over a period of time.
If you need help with disability insurance
benefits & social security,
Click here for Immediate Disability
Insurance Benefits & Social Security
Assistance.
Get
Immediate Disability Insurance Benefits & Social
Security Assistance
TOP OF THE PAGE
updated: ts
|
