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Quick Reference
Guide to Social Security
Disability
INSURANCE (SSDI), Disabled Widowers, or Social Security
Disabled Adult Child ( SSDAC)
Title II is your income
insurance policy provided by SSA. Every worker who pays into the Social
Security system pays the exact same percentage amount per dollar earned.
This policy insures you against income loss in the event of death, disability
or retirement.
Generally it is not contingent upon resources or other income available.
Cash benefits from Title II is considered unearned income.
In determining if the person is earning
SGA, Income is counted when the individual earns the income not when
it is paid.
Eligibility:
to be eligible for TITLE II, a person must
- Be considered medically disabled, the disability must be expected
to last 12 months or result in death;;
- Have worked and paid Social Security taxes (FICA), be a qualified
worker (20/40 quarters); or an adult disabled child (SSDAC) of a qualified
worker;
- For younger workers age 31 or less, less quarters are required for
insurability, however at least six quarters are required,
- Have little (under the current SGA amount) or no current earned
income;
- Be a citizen of the United States, or a legal alien, and be a resident
of this Country; and,
- File an application.
Disabled Widow/er Benefits Eligibility:
To qualify for disability benefits, a widow(er) (including certain
surviving divorced spouses) must be found disabled before the
end of a certain period prescribed in the law.
The prescribed period begins with the latest of the following:
- The month of the spouse's death, or
- The last month of entitlement to mother's benefits, or
- The last month of previous entitlement to DWB.
- The prescribed period ends with the earliest of the following:
- The month before the month in which a widow(er) attains age
60, or
- The close of the 84th month (7 years) following the month in
which the period began.
Disabled widow(er) benefits are not payable prior to age 50,
even though the disability onset occurred earlier.
- Disability Eligibility For a widow(er):
- The individual must have a physical or mental impairment(s)
that meets or equals the level of severity in the Listing of Impairments.
When the impairment does not meet or exceed the listing, the individual
will not meet the definition of disabled for the purpose of these
benefits. In determining eligibility SSA does not consider vocational
factors, i.e., age education, and experience, as is done in the
case of DIB or CDB.
- The impairment must result from anatomical, physiological,
or psychological abnormalities, verifiable by medically acceptable
diagnostic techniques. o
- The individual must not have demonstrated (or be demonstrating)
an ability to engage in substantial gainful activity. NOTE: The
1980 amendments extended the trial work period (TWP) provisions
to disabled widow(er)s effective December 1980. (See DI 13010.035)
The disability must have lasted or be expected to last for a continuous
period of not less than 12 months, unless, of course, as in DIB
and CDB cases, the impairment is expected to result in death within
12 months. A DWB is subject to a waiting period of 5 full consecutive
calendar months. There is no waiting period if the claimant again
becomes disabled before age 60 and the new disability began within
84 months following the month in which prior entitlement to DWB
terminated. Benefits will begin with the first month in which
the claimant is disabled for the entire month.
SSDAC Eligibility:
- Disability began before age 22;
- Must be 18 years old;
- The qualified worker (parent, sometimes grandparent) must meet
one of the following criteria:
- Deceased;
- Retired; or
- Experience a disability (determined by SSA and receiving SSDI
payments)
Cash Benefit : The payment amount is based on
the individual's lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security.
Workers compensation payments, and/or public disability payments may reduce
the payment amount.
Checks Begin: An individual must wait five (5)
full months after the onset of the disability before receiving Title
II benefits (exception DAC). Up to twelve months of retroactively if
applicable.
Medical Coverage: Medicare after
a two years waiting period from the month for which the first payment
is received
Work Incentives Available While Receiving Title II:
Individuals on TITLE II can return to work and retain their benefits
through the proper use of the Work Incentive Provisions of the Social
Security Act. These include:
PASS, Title II beneficiaries
can use their cash benefit to pay for PASS expenditures only if employment
will result in termination of Tittle II cash benefits.
For amounts that may be changed see our current
amounts pages
Checks Stop: An individual who has been receiving TITLE II will
no longer receive checks when:
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