When a disabled worker applies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSD) benefits, they deserve to receive the full payment they earned from years of hard work and paying Social Security taxes. At the Law Office of Daniel Berger, we specialize in getting every disabled client the maximum SSD benefits available.
After many years fighting for disabled SSD applicants and their families, our experienced team of Social Security Disability Insurance lawyers knows that even with a monthly SSD benefits payment, financial pressures continue to be a burden. Here’s some helpful information about other benefits SSD recipients can apply to receive without losing their monthly disability payment.
Other Benefits You Can Receive with SSD
Each of the programs listed in this post has its eligibility requirements and qualifications. These are shown here because you can receive these benefits along with your SSD benefits if you meet those eligibility criteria.
SSD Dependent Benefits
Before we dive into the other benefit programs available to you, remember to check to see if your spouse, minor child, or disabled adult child is eligible to receive SSD “dependent benefits” based on your work history. Generally, your spouse is eligible to receive dependent benefits if they are caring for a child under 16 years old or for any an older child whose disability began before age 22.
Each of these family members can receive up to 50% of the amount of your SSD benefit, but the total family benefit payment can not exceed between 150% and 180% of your monthly benefit.
As an experienced SSD and SSI lawyer, Attorney Daniel Berger is a specialist in winning every Social Security or other benefit you and your family are entitled to receive.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Unlike the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSD) benefits program, Supplement Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based benefit plan open to people with low income and limited financial resources or assets.
You may qualify for and receive both SSD and SSI at the same time, depending on your total countable monthly income.
Since the amount of your SSD benefits payment is determined by your history of earnings, a lower-earning individual may be receiving an SSD benefits payment below the income cap to qualify for SSI. In 2021, the monthly “countable” income limit for SSI eligibility is $794 for an individual or $1,191 for a couple. If your SSD benefits payment is below those amounts, you may qualify to receive monthly SSI benefits as well.
Be sure to consult with an expert SSD and SSI lawyer right away if you think you may be eligible for either SSD, SSI, or both. Your disability lawyer will know exactly what income the Social Security Administration counts. You may be receiving a total income higher than the eligibility limit, but your “countable income” may amount to less than the cap.
Medicare
Medicare is a federally administered health insurance program primarily covering people aged 65 and older. But anyone who receives SSD payments can become eligible for Medicare coverage after 24 months. During the interim, SSD benefits recipients could qualify for Medicaid, a state-administered health insurance program for lower-income and disabled persons.
If you are receiving SSI, either by itself or in conjunction with SSD, you would be immediately eligible to receive Medicaid coverage through your state.
An experienced Social Security Disability lawyer can help you understand and help you apply for every benefit program for which you are qualified. Don’t assume you aren’t eligible. Consult with an expert, professional SSD lawyer.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Another valuable benefit program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that gives low-income individuals and families facing economic difficulty a way to stretch their food dollars. Formerly known as “food stamps,” the program now uses prepaid debit cards. The SNAP program is federally funded but administered by each state. The SNAP subsidies can be used at most grocery stores, supermarkets, food co-ops, and convenience stores.
Housing Assistance Subsidies
Several programs exist to assist SSD and SSI benefit recipients who have trouble affording housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds a rent subsidy benefit program called Section 8 in which the tenant is required to contribute a portion of their income to pay rent, usually 30%, and the government will pay the landlord the remainder.
Other SSD Benefits
While some of the following options are not available to everyone, many SSD recipients qualify to receive benefits through their employers. The Social Security Administration does include some of the following benefits as countable income against your allowable monthly earnings cap, but others are excluded from the equation. Check to see if you are eligible for any of the following resources:
Private Disability Insurance Payments — Many SSD benefit recipients qualify to receive payments through an employer-provided or personally paid disability insurance policy. Most of these policies require beneficiaries to file for SSD too. If your policy provides for a payment higher than your SSD benefit amount, the insurance company pays the difference.
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) – Recipients of SSD benefits often struggle to pay the rising costs of home heating fuel. This program assists eligible households to pay for heat, heating equipment repairs, and home weatherization.