Is Social Security Disability a Government Handout?
If you suffer from a disability, you could need Social Security Disability Insurance (or SSDI). But if you’re like many Americans, you may feel bad about applying.
Some people have a negative view of SSDI. They don’t realize it’s part of the same insurance plan as regular Social Security.
As a Social Security Disability lawyer Memphis has trusted for decades, I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the disability program. And it’s true the program has its faults. But those people who put it down usually haven’t ever suffered from a disability, and so they haven’t ever needed its benefits.
In reality, SSDI works very similarly to an insurance program. Like an insurance program, it funds itself. And that means many people have already earned the benefits the same way you do when you pay into a car insurance plan.
How Social Security Disability Works
President Dwight D. Eisenhower added disability insurance to the Social Security program in 1956, and it has been in use ever since. Under the program, workers and employers both pay into the disability insurance fund through payroll taxes. It works out as a little under 2.5% of the total payroll tax. Employers and workers split that cost evenly.
In order to qualify for SSDI, you need to work and pay into the system for approximately 10 years, with a few exceptions. This is the same rule for Social Security and Medicare. So it functions the same as any insurance program: you pay into the system every month so that if or when you need Social Security Disability Insurance, you have it.
When people think of handouts, they usually mean taking from the system rather than paying into it. SSDI has a complicated application process. You have to prove you’ve earned the right to a disability check by working hard and paying for it. That’s the opposite of a handout.
Need Social Security Disability Insurance?
If you need Social Security Disability Insurance, you should contact an SSDI lawyer in your area. The program takes applications seriously and tries to avoid any fraudulent claims. As a result, the majority of disability claims get denied the first time around. And even appeals can be denied.
Our Memphis SSDI lawyers work with you to build the strongest case possible and help you receive benefits the first time around.
We gather all of the information from doctors and medical providers and put it together in the most effective way. And we help you through the appeals process, if necessary. Plus we don’t get paid anything unless you do, and even then the fee is set by law to a small portion of your past benefits.
We would love to help you with your claim. If you need social security disability insurance, call us today at 901-327-1212 or contact us online for a free appointment.