What’s the difference between Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDIB) and Supplemental Security Income Payments (SSI)?

The law offices of Kassin & Carrow wants you to read the important info below regarding the differences between SSDIB and SSI. For many St. Louis area residents, disability benefits are a lifeline. While having a lawyer can be a game-changer for an applicant, going to that lawyer equipped with data is never a bad idea.

Social Security Disability Insurance was made for people who work, while Supplemental Security Income was created to cover non-workers, or those who don't qualify for SSDI. To be more specific, SSDIB is earned by paying into the social security system by way of automatic deductions from your payroll. The money you pay into the system is converted to social security work credits, which then determine your eligibility for “fully insured” status within SSDI. Along with accruing the needed number of social security work credits, an applicant also needs to show eligibility by having worked recently.

SSI assists those that don't qualify for SSDI or do not qualify for a big enough amount of SSDI to satisfy their needs. Since the watchword for SSI is “need,” appliers need to show need by exhibiting that they don't go over the income and resource limits at the time of their application. Also, applicants should know that they will be required to show that they're under the income and resource limits periodically so long as they draw SSI benefits.

There are some other differences between the two disability benefits programs. For example, it is possible for SSDIB benefits to be paid to an eligible family member depending on the disabled insured individual’s eligibility during their lifetime or upon their death. SSI is offered only to the qualified individual. Disability applicants in Edwardsville, IL, St. Peters, MO, and St. Louis should also note that SSDI has a five month waiting period and SSI does not.

Although finding information on the web is certainly a sensible move, no amount of online research can replace the experience of a well-trained and experienced disability lawyer in St. Peters, MO or the Metro East St. Louis area. Kassin & Carrow serves your needs with offices in both Missouri and Illinois. If you're ready to take the next step in the disability benefits application process, get in touch with the law offices of Kassin & Carrow. We can help you through each step of the process (initial claim, reconsideration, hearing, or appeals council) or start our representation after you have filed a claim or have been denied at any level.

Do not consider this information as legal advice or opinion, or guarantee of a particular outcome for a legal matter. This site provides general information that may or may not apply to your claim.

Do not substitute this information for competent legal counsel, or make legal decisions solely based upon the information provided on thissite. You should consult an attorney before making any important decisions regarding any legal matter. The choice of a lawyer should not be based solely upon advertising.

How Does Back Pay Work For SSI and SSDI benefits?

If you are considering making an application for disability benefits under SSI or SSDI, you may not know exactly how significant it is to get your application for benefits in as quickly as possible. The primary reason for this is the possibility that a quick application has to boost the amount of back pay that you will receive whenever your case is eventually approved. If you aren't familiar with how back pay for Edwardsville, Illinois SSI and SSDI benefits works, pay attention to this important information from the law offices of Kassin and Carrow in Edwardsville, IL and St. Peters, MO.

It ought to come as no real surprise that the judge awarding your benefits will take the date that you were disabled into consideration when deciding how far your back pay goes. When you and your attorney apply for Social Security Disability initially, you will choose an AOD, which refers to Alleged Onset Date. What this means is that it is the date that you think you became disabled. Once the process is allowed to carry on to its conclusion, the DDS disability examiner or administrative law judge will allot what's referred to as an EOD, or Established Onset Date. That is the date that the examiner or judge has determined that your disability really started based on the work and medical records surrounding the case. Although the EOD can be important for individuals applying for SSI as well, that is not always the case. As a rule, you can't get SSI back pay on benefits before the date of application, but you can get restricted to only the time following the EOD if the EOD is following the application date.

Of the three main issues influencing back pay, the date that you file your application is probably among the most important. It makes sense to take into consideration application date with a disability filing because benefits such as that take a very long time to process. The process may be long and complicated, which is the reason why you need an experienced disability law attorney like Kassin and Carrow. The exact way in which the application date impacts back pay is determined by whether you're filing for SSI or SSDI benefits. As stated earlier, for SSI you can get back pay only to the first of the month once you apply for benefits. In contrast, SSDI enables you to collect for the twelve months preceding your application in some circumstances.

One thing that always throws people for a loop when applying for SSDI disability benefits is the five-month waiting period which can be applied to the back pay that you're qualified for. Don’t get confused; this waiting period does not affect SSI benefits, just SSDI benefits. The number is reasonably arbitrary, however it is one of those legal hurdles that make it a good idea to have the guidance of a disability law attorney. How the waiting period works is that you don't get back pay on benefits for five months following your EOD if your EOD was prior to your application date. As an example, let’s say that you were determined to be disabled in January (your EOD.) But, you filed in November of the same year. With there being ten months between your EOD and your filing date, you can subtract the five-month waiting period from that ten months to get five months of back pay benefits that you will get.

As you can most likely tell, working out the stressful maze of St. Peters, MO disability benefits is hard. You can most likely also tell that the stakes are way too high to take chances with it. Therefore, the best thing that you can do is get in touch with an attorney who focuses specifically on SSI and SSDI benefit law. For people who live in the Metro East St. Louis Illinois area, the law firm to go to is Kassin and Carrow.

Getting Answers About Supplemental Security Income

Everybody who considers SSI disability benefits has a lot of questions. That is the reason why it's so imperative that you get an experienced disability law office in St. Louis in your corner. While there is no way to substitute an experienced attorney with a single article, this quick read from the law offices of Kassin and Carrow should ensure you get on track to finding the answers you'll need.

What's the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and how can I apply?

SSI provides financial assistance to individuals with limited income and resources who are age 65 or older, blind, or handicapped. Children with disabilities can get SSI, also. To find out if you can get SSI and learn to apply, talk with a specialized disability lawyer like Kassin and Carrow or visit the Social Security Administration website.

What do I need to report to Social Security if I get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

You will be required to report any changes in your status which may affect the amount of the benefits you get from the SSA. Some items that may impact the amount of your disability benefits include considerable changes to your income or resources.

If I marry, is it going to impact my benefits?

If you get Social Security disability or retirement benefits and you get married, your benefit will remain the same. That’s not necessarily the case with SSI benefits, widow and widower benefits, or divorcee benefits. With SSI, your spouse’s income and resources could affect the benefits you get. When it comes to widow or widower benefits, you will lose your benefits if you remarry before age 60, or age 50 if you are disabled too. For divorcee benefits or benefits for those under 19 years of age, you will lose your benefits upon marriage.

How do Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments differ?

The two programs are financed differently. Employment taxes mostly finance Social Security retirement, survivors and disability insurance benefits. Normally, Social Security benefits are paid to qualified workers and their households, according to the worker’s earnings. On the other hand, general taxes fund the SSI program, which serves the needy. SSI eligibility depends largely on limited income and resources.

How can I become a representative payee for someone receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits?

If you have a friend getting Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits who needs assistance managing their payments, you should contact your local Social Security office about becoming their representative payee or talk to a disability lawyer in St. Louis, St. Peters, MO or Edwardsville, Illinois.

If I receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and work, do I have to report my earnings to Social Security?

The law requires you to report your wages when you get SSI.

How do I get state supplementary payments for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

Most states supplement payments to SSI recipients. The amount of these payments differ from state-to-state and reflect differences in regional living costs. For example, the supplemental state payment would be lower for someone located in Missouri compared to a place like New York, which has a higher cost of living as a whole.

Can a noncitizen obtain Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

The laws and regulations with regards to noncitizens vary for the Social Security and SSI programs. The Social Security Administration administers both, although they have different eligibility requirements. Some noncitizens do qualify for SSI.

I am leaving foster care; will it matter what age I am when I file for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

It does not matter what age you are whenever you leave foster care. Effective August 1, 2016, you may file for SSI benefits as much as 180 days before leaving foster care, irrespective of your age.

Though we made an effort to pick a few of the more common questions about Supplemental Security Income, this list is scarcely exhaustive. The best thing that you can do if you're planning to request disability benefits or if you have questions regarding your current benefits, the best thing that can be done is to get in touch with the law offices of Kassin and Carrow. They have experience in disability law in St. Peters, Missouri and Edwardsville, Illinois.

SSDI, America, and You

Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, can appear like an extremely hard concept to understand. If you just take a look at what’s occurring in politics right now, it looks like nobody can understand the social security system. However, the legal professionals at Kassin and Carrow in Edwardsville, Illinois and St. Peters, Missouri have years of experience helping people to navigate the overwhelming SSDI system to obtain the benefits that they deserve.

If you feel that you might be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits in St. Louis, MO, read on to understand more about the program and just how to make an application for benefits.

Social Security Disability Insurance has been in existence since 1956 to help those that cannot make a living because of a physical or mental impairment. Often these people will also have expenditures pertaining to their disability, such as hospital expenses or medication needs. Therefore, it becomes extremely difficult for these people to meet their financial needs. They need to have the income of disability benefits to live.

SSDI is a necessary system in the United States because only 1/3 of employers offer some kind of disability insurance to their employees. In total, eight million Americans depend entirely on SSDI to support themselves and their loved ones. Although the benefits are typically small in amount, they're a life-line for Americans who become hurt and can't work a conventional job because of the injury or illness.

Really, an increasing number of people end up in need of a disability law attorney to assist them to file for Social Security Disability Insurance. That’s because there are more people applying for disability than any other time. This is actually a result of a number of different causes. First off, the baby boomer generation is coming to be of the age where they're able to receive these benefits. Everyone is twice as likely to be disabled at age 50 as they are at age 40 and two times as likely to be disabled at age 60 as they are at age 50. Women are also adding to the number of individuals applying for benefits since increasingly more women are entering the workforce.

If you're thinking about making an application for disability benefits, you will want to do so with the help of a disability attorney. Naturally, you can apply for some levels of disability benefits without the aid of a legal professional. However, attorneys with years of experience such as Kassin and Carrow can improve the speed and efficiency with which your application is processed. If you are thinking about applying for disability benefits in Metro East St. Louis, Illinois or St. Louis proper, give consideration to scheduling a consultation with Kassin and Carrow today.

Social Security Disability Insurance: Your Safety Net

You might be eligible to get benefits for both you and certain people in your family if you are "insured." This means you worked long enough and paid taxes into the Social Security system. Your adult child may also be entitled to benefits under your earnings record if he or she has a disability that began before age 22. The law offices of Kassin and Carrow are happy to provide you with this helpful guidance.

Medical and other info will be collected whenever the government makes a determination about benefits. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration's website, a 20-year-old worker has a 30 percent chance of becoming disabled prior to reaching retirement age.

When determining if somebody is disabled, the federal government uses five questions:

Is the person employed? If you are working and your gross earnings are more than $1,010.00 per month, you usually cannot be considered disabled. If you are not working or your total earnings are below $1,010.00 monthly on account of a medical condition, then the SSA will proceed to the following question.

Would the condition that the individual is suffering from be considered "severe"? Your condition must interfere with basic work related activities for your claim to be considered. If your condition is not severe, then the SSA will not find you disabled. If your condition is serious, then the SSA will go to the next question.

Would the individual’s particular condition be located on the official standardized list of disabling conditions? The regulations list impairment for all of the major body systems that are so severe they immediately mean you're disabled. If your condition is not on the list, then the SSA has to decide if it's of equal seriousness to an impairment on the list. If your condition matches or equals one of the listed impairments, then the SSA will find that you are disabled. If your condition doesn't meet or equal one of the listed impairments, then the SSA will go to the following question.

Is the individual able to continue working the same way in which they did prior to being afflicted with the condition? If your condition is severe, but not at the same or equal severity as an ailment on the list then the SSA will have to determine if the condition intervenes with your ability to do the work that you did formerly. If your condition doesn't prevent you from doing your previous work, then the SSA will not find you disabled. If your condition inhibits you from performing your past work, then the SSA will go to the following question.

Is the person capable of getting some other means of a stable income? If you cannot do the work that you did previously, then the SSA decides if you are able to fully adjust to other work. The SSA views your medical conditions, your age, education, prior work experience, and any transferable skills that you might have obtained. If you can't adapt to other work, then the SSA will find you disabled.

When you withstand this maze of questions, the following are going to be available to you:

• You will be qualified to receive Medicare health insurance or Medicaid, dependent on the type of Social Security benefit
• You may receive annual cost of living increases
• You may receive tax advantages or receive your benefits tax-free
• You may shield any potential future Social Security benefits (with Retirement or Survivors benefits if eligible)
• You may qualify for vocational rehabilitation programs or work incentives to help you get back to work
• Your spouse or children may be qualified to receive benefits on your record

St. Louis, MO SSDI benefit seekers really should turn to the trustworthy law offices of Kassin and Carrow. They’ve got lots of experience ensuring that individuals with disabilities in Belleville, Granite City, Alton, Edwardsville, Arnold, St. Peters, and St. Louis, Missouri get the benefits they deserve.

What Can A Disability Attorney Do For You?

The law offices of Kassin and Carrow are the cutting edge disability attorneys in the Metro East St. Louis, Missouri area. They have over 30 years of experience with managing Social Security disability claims in Edwardsville, Illinois and St. Peters, Missouri. We'll use that same level of expertise to your disability claim. It’s our job as disability attorneys to help our clientele get the Social Security disability benefits that they should have. If you believe that it’s time to apply for disability benefits, you need to consider giving us a call. The sooner you get the help of a disability attorney, the more help that they can be.

The government gives out disability benefits with Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. To receive those benefits, your injury must disable you for not less than a full year. To receive benefits for short-term injuries, there are some other government programs available.

A disability attorney can lead you through the entire process of making an application for disability benefits. That is our purpose for the people of Wentzville, St. Charles, Kirkwood, St Peters, St. Louis, and Collinsville, Illinois at Kassin and Carrow. We can manage everything from the initial application to the appeal to preparation for the questioning. As your disability attorneys, you can expect Kassin and Carrow to:

• Assess your claim and explain it to you
• Gather medical and other evidence
• Take your Social Security Disability file and collect the necessary documents
• Appeal for past benefit applications to be reviewed
• Coordinate with your doctor to make a report that follows Social Security guidelines
• Get you ready to testify at a hearing if need be
• Make the right statements at a hearing
• Give wise counsel about appeals

Although legally some levels of disability application can be filed by non-lawyer individuals, a disability attorney can help you at every level of the process. If you're even considering applying for disability benefits and you reside near Edwardsville, Illinois or St. Peters, Missouri, get a hold of Kassin and Carrow to set a consultation.

Disability Attorney Questions and Answers

The benefits of hiring a disability lawyer are many, and worth covering in some detail. Additionally, it is necessary to consider at what stage of the process a lawyer ought to get involved.

Why Employ A Disability Attorney?

The most crucial reason to hire a lawyer to help with your disability case is that your chances of being approved are greatly increased. While it's certainly true that some people who apply on their own are approved for benefits, statistics show that, everything else being equal, Social Security is more inclined to approve an applicant who is represented by legal counsel than one who isn't.

From the preliminary application to the hearing level and beyond, disability attorneys like Kassin and Carrow understand how to present a case in the light most favorable to their clients. On the preliminary application, your lawyer can offer advice on your "alleged onset date" of disability, argue that your condition meets one of the listed impairments in Social Security's "blue book," and enable you to concentrate on the facts which will be most compelling to Social Security. At the reconsideration and hearing levels (the first and second level of appeal in many states like Missouri and Illinois), your attorney can accumulate and submit relevant medical evidence, obtain an opinion from your physician, draft a detailed brief to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and get you prepared for the judge's questions at the hearing. Your lawyer will also raise helpful testimony from you at the hearing and may cross examine the Vocational Expert or Medical Expert to demonstrate that you are not able to work.

At the next stages of appeal, the Appeals Council and federal court, your attorney can create sophisticated legal arguments to show that Social Security wrongly denied your case.

When Should I Contact an Attorney?

The general rule of thumb is "the sooner, the better." If you are even thinking about filing for disability, you should call a disability attorney like those at Kassin and Carrow for a consultation. The law offices of Kassin and Carrow in St. Louis, MO can help you evaluate the strength of your case and assist you with your initial application. While some people choose to navigate this stage without legal representation, you're more likely to get approved if you have a lawyer helping you.

If having an attorney to help with your preliminary application is a good idea, employing a lawyer after you've received an initial denial ought to be a no-brainer. Along with improving the likelihood of success, a disability attorney can sometimes move your case more quickly through the system, especially if your medical condition is terminal or your financial situation is especially dire (for example, you're homeless or your home is being foreclosed on). Furthermore, your Arnold, St. Charles, Union, or Farmington, MO lawyer can send the judge a request for an "on-the-record" (OTR) decision, which means that you can be approved for benefits without a hearing.

If you're in the St. Louis, Missouri area and would like to explore your options with Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance, get a hold of the law offices of Kassin and Carrow. They're disability attorneys with years of experience that may be used to benefit you and your case.