What You Need To Know When You Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

Approval of an application for Social Security disability comes with rights and responsibilities that you need to know to get the most out of the benefits available to you. A little knowledge about the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs lets you understand what to expect from SSI and SSDI, as well as what is expected from you to remain eligible under each program.

When you rely upon the services of London Disability to file an application or appeal a denial of SSDI and SSI benefits, a disability advocate review everything you need to know about the benefit program with you and answers any questions that you may have about it. The information in this article provides an overview of what you need to know when you are approved for SSD benefits.

When do payments begin through SSDI and SSI?

The notice from Social Security that lets you know that your claim for benefits has been approved includes information about when monthly benefit payments begin. SSDI and SSI have different rules that affect when your payments start.

You must be disabled for at least five months before SSDI payments begin in the sixth month. If you are disabled because of Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the waiting period does not apply to you provided the application for benefits was approved after July 23, 2020.

If your benefits are paid through the SSI program, the start of monthly payments is not subject to the same type of waiting period that applies to SSDI benefits. Your SSI monthly benefits start with the first month after you became eligible for benefits or applied for benefits.

How long do benefit payments continue?

SSD benefits received through the SSI program continue for as long as you are blind or disabled and meet the income and resource limits for eligibility. You must notify Social Security of changes that may affect eligibility or the amount that you receive in monthly benefits, including the following:

1). Moving or changing address.

2). Changes in the number of people living with you as this may affect how much you receive each month.

3). Starting or leaving a job that pays wages.

4). Changes in your income or the income of family members living with you.

5). Entry into or leaving a hospital, prison, nursing home or other institution as it may affect your monthly payment.

6). Marriage, separation or divorce.

7). Birth of a child.

The SSI program requires that you notify Social Security immediately if you leave the United States for more than 30 days as this affects eligibility for benefits through the program.

If you receive SSDI benefits, they will continue for as long as you are disabled. However, SSDI stops when you reach full-retirement age, which is based on the year of your birth. It is 67 years of age for people born in 1960 or later.

When you reach full-retirement age, your SSDI payments come to an end and convert to Social Security retirement. For most people, the conversion to retirement benefits does not change the amount of their monthly benefit payment. Ask a disability advocate at London Disability for more information about what will happen to your SSDI payments when you reach full retirement.

Annual cost-of-living adjustments

SSDI and SSI benefits are subject to annual increases in January depending upon changes in the cost of living. For example, benefits went up by 5.9% this year because of a cost-of-living adjustment that was automatically added to benefit payments.

Eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid

When you qualify for SSI and SSDI, you become eligible for assistance with medical expenses through either Medicaid or Medicare. If you qualify for SSDI, you become eligible for Medicare coverage after receiving SSDI benefits for 24 months. However, you may be eligible for Medicare right away if you require a transplant or dialysis because of permanent kidney failure or have ALS.

An application for SSI benefits is also an application for the Medicaid health insurance program in the majority of states. There is no waiting period for eligibility, so you qualify for Medicaid benefits in the same month as you become eligible for SSI.

Some states require submission of a separate application for the Medicaid program. Coverage begins in those states upon approval of your application by the state. Speak with a disability expert at London Disability for more information about Medicare and Medicaid.

Working while receiving SSD benefits

Social Security offers programs that allow you to work while collecting SSD benefits. A trial work period lets you work without the money earned affecting your SSDI benefits. A trial work period is for nine months that must be completed within 60 months. Ask your disability advocate for more information about a trial work period and how it applies to your case.

Get advice that you can trust about your SSD benefits

The more that you know about the SSDI and SSI benefit programs puts you in a better position to maximize your benefits while complying with rules and regulations that could jeopardize eligibility. At London Disability, our disability advocates take time to review the approval notice with you and explain your rights and responsibilities. We are here to help you, so contact us today for a free consultation.