Social Security Disability Insurance Has Been Updated

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal insurance program designed by the United Social Security Disability InsuranceStates government to help people who can’t work anymore because of injury or disability.

SSDI is funded by the taxes you and your employer pay every time you get paid. Usually, you’ll see this deduction listed as Social Security Tax on your paycheck. In short, SSDI is an insurance policy that you pay into now that you can later draw from if you become medically unable to work in the future.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just contributing money. In order to receive SSDI, you have to pay into it by earning enough income credits within a certain time period.

If this sounds complicated, don’t worry. I’ll walk you through how this works and what the new numbers look like below.

What Is an Income Credit and How Does It Work?

Here is how the calculations work as of 2020:

  • You get one income credit for every $1,410 you earn.
  • You can earn up to four credits per year. So if you earn $5,640 (or four credits), you’re qualified for that year.
  • You need anywhere from 20-40 income credits to qualify for SSDI, depending on your age at the time you became disabled.
  • These credits need to have been earned within the last ten years at the time of your application.

To understand this better, let’s look at an example. Let’s say you start work at 30 years old and you work until you’re 40. Those ten years qualify you with 40 credits. If you become disabled and apply for SSDI immediately, you should be able to qualify.

However, if you stop working at age 40 but wait until you’re 55 to apply, you will likely not qualify because you didn’t earn the 20 credits within the last ten years.

Can I Earn Income and Still Receive SSDI?

Once you’re approved for Social Security Disability Insurance, you can usually receive all or some of your benefits if your income is less than $1,260/month (or $2,110 if you are blind).

If you make more than this amount, the Social Security Administration will assume that you’re capable of competing for full employment and don’t need any benefits.

There is much more to an SSDI application than just these numbers, though. You must prove your work history, submit all of your medical records, and show that you followed your doctor’s orders, among other things. Submitting a claim like this takes time, and there is often a long backlog to process each application.

Fortunately, my team at Darrell Castle & Associates can help.

We Can Help You File a Successful Claim.

The majority of SSDI claims are denied the first time they’re submitted, especially if you don’t have a lawyer. But, if you’ve submitted a claim and were denied, you have 60 days to appeal. But if you don’t do this right, your claim may be denied repeatedly as a result, and the process may take a very long time.

Luckily, you do not have to do this alone.

Because I handle SSDI cases alongside personal injury, bankruptcy, and workers’ compensation cases, I am very experienced in helping clients deal with the financial strain of an injury or disability. If you want the best chance of success at being approved for SSDI, my team and I are here to help you. Give us a call at 901-327-1212 or contact us online for a free consultation.

The costs for an SSDI attorney are minimal and are limited by law, but having a lawyer on your side will make a huge difference in your SSDI application. We will treat your case with care and diligently go through the specifics of your unique situation.

If you have been injured and are no longer able to work, don’t wait. The time to file for SSDI is now.