Taking a Look at the Types of Disability Benefits

In the past, the only type of disability benefits one could get was through the church or other community-based charitable organization. Food pantries fed the hungry, ran donations for the homeless and contributed funds to individual families in need.

This all changed in 1935, when Franklin D. Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act as part of the "New Deal" to help minimize the devastation caused by the Great Depression. Later, this act was amended to include Medicaid and Medicare by Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his "Great Society" legislation in 1965. Today, there are multiple types of disability insurance policies in the United States.

One type of available disability benefits is covered by national social insurance programs. In the U.S., there are two types of federal assistance programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). According to the Social Security Administration, these large "safety net" benefits kept 40% of older American recipients out of abject poverty.

SSDI benefits are for those people who have worked 5 out of the last 10 years, who earn less than $980/month and who are prohibited from earning any gainful income because of a physical or mental problem. SSI benefits are for people who can demonstrate extreme financial hardship (less than $674/month) and are 65+, or are blind or disabled.

Another type of disability benefits can be purchased as individual disability insurance. These plans are designed to replace 40-60% of one's income should disability strike. Some of the top companies offering private disability insurance include MetLife, Northwestern Mutual and Unum.

When evaluating policies, individuals should look at variables, like waiting periods, benefit pay-outs, cancellation policies and cost-of-living adjustment options. Some disability income insurance will even allow claimants to return back to work part-time or at a different position and still collect benefits, which can help supplement household income even more.

Just 40% of the millions who apply for social security benefits are approved each year, which underscores the need for employees to look into individual disability insurance or employer-based benefits. Even if a person is initially rejected for federal or state disability benefits, he or she is eligible to appeal the original decision up to four times.

In fact, most disability benefits are not awarded until a reconsideration process fails to prove fruitful and a court hearing with an administrative law judge is scheduled. Sometimes it can take over a year to win a disability insurance claim, so it's up to individuals to ensure all avenues of financial assistance are sought to keep their households afloat during the waiting process.

Supplemental Help With Disability Claims

No one ever wants to think that they will ever be disabled. Unfortunately, life sometimes has a different plan and you may find yourself mentally, physically or emotionally unable to capably perform your job. If you find yourself in this state, you should contact your physician immediately to see if he feels that you can be deemed "disabled" in some way. If your physician believes that you are, in fact disabled and will not be able to return to work for at least another 12 months, you may qualify to file for disability claims through the Social Security department.

These benefits are for people whose employers have paid into social security for you during your years of employment. How much financial supplementation you get all depends on the length of time you have been at your job and how much you have paid into Social Security. If you were injured on the job, causing you to become disabled, you will be able to get both worker's comp and disability benefits from social security, although the government money will not be as large since you will be getting supplementation elsewhere.

As soon as you are deemed medically disabled, you should start the paperwork filing for your disability benefits. Be prepared that this process is long, tedious and confusing and can leave many people frustrated enough to walk away without the aid of any benefit, regardless of how legitimate or needed their claim is. The government is not one to willingly and quickly dole money out and it is not usual for a claim to be denied more than once at any given time. If you are relentless and determined, the government will eventually give in and you will be given the financial supplementation you deserve.

Disability claims are not for those who will be unable to work for less than a year. You need not apply to social security if you are in need of short-term supplementation from the government. The only way you can get that waived is if your doctor believes that your disability will most certainly end in death (as in terminal cancer or illness) in which you may have less than 12 months to live at that time.

What You Should Know When Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits

There is a certain stigma against the disabled in this country that leaves people feeling like second-class citizens if they need a little help paying their living expenses due to an injury or illness. While it may not be preferable for you to go on the public dole, you'll be happy to know that it is possible for a person to collect social security disability benefits and still work part-time at a job. As long as you make less than $980/month at your job, you can collect SSDI benefits from the Social Security Administration as well.

The first step to applying for social security disability benefits is to visit your local Social Security office, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit SSA to fill out a social security disability application and adult work history form. Once you file your initial disability insurance claim, you'll need to wait 90 to 120 days for a decision. Since there are millions of applications submitted each year and no mandated deadlines, you could feasibly wait even longer. Your claim will be reviewed to see if you fit all the qualifications. Generally speaking, for SSDI benefits, you must have worked 5 out of the last 10 years, you must fit their classification of "disabled" and you must not make more than $980/month (as of May 2009).

The next stage of applying for social security disability benefits occurs if your application is rejected. Approximately 64% of all applicants are initially denied assistance, so you shouldn't take it to heart and give up. By law, you are entitled to file a social security disability appeal and request reconsideration. During the reconsideration, an administrator will look over your files again.

Sometimes circumstances change and another 14% of claimants get approved this way. If you are still denied, then you can file a second appeal that is called a "request for hearing," which will have you meet with an administrative law judge within 50 miles of your home. Over 60% of the people who appear at a hearing get approved, so it often pays to persevere, and get a lawyer!

When filing for disability, you should plan on making several appeals before your case is won and your social security disability benefits are awarded. This means that it could take more than a year to finish the process. In the meantime, you will need to be conscientious about not incurring new debts and in restructuring existing debts. You may also need to apply for other aid programs like food stamps, HEAP or prescription drug assistance programs as you wait.

What You Should Know About the Social Security Disability Insurance

If you have recently become disabled, then you are probably feeling uncertain about your financial future. One of the first places to turn is to short term disability insurance, which will cover you for a few weeks, or up to six months as you recuperate; unless, of course, you became disabled on-the-job, in which case you'll file for Worker's Compensation Insurance instead.

You can apply for either insurance through the human resources department at your place of employment. If it looks like you'll be out of work for the long haul, you can apply for long term disability insurance through your employer once your short term insurance expires. If you are over 65, then you can apply for Social Security. If you are disabled and not working, then you may still be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance.

To apply for Social Security Disability benefits/insurance, visit Socialsecurity to fill out an application and then return it to your local social security office, which can be found at Secure Ssa. To fill out the Social Security Disability application, you will need your social security number, your birth certificate, the names, addresses and phone numbers of case workers, doctors, clinics and hospitals that cared for you, along with the dates of care.

Include the names and dosages of medication you're taking, medical records from doctors, therapists, hospitals and clinics, laboratory test results, a summary of your work experience and a copy of your most recent W2. In addition to this basic form, you will also need to fill out other forms about your medical condition, your ability to work and forms giving doctors permission to send information to the government regarding your condition. Since the process can be complicated, some people prefer to schedule an appointment with a caseworker to fill out a Disability Starter Kit at the nearest office by calling 1-800-772-1213.

According to the most recent Social Security Disability Insurance fact sheet, about 62.8% of the recipients are retired beneficiaries in their sixties or older. Another 13% are disabled workers, with an average age of 51. Another 6% are spouses of retired workers, 10% are widows of deceased beneficiaries and 8.2% are children of retired or disabled workers or who are themselves disabled.

Statistically, 75% of the recipients are white, 18% are black and 7% are other ethnicities. Two-thirds of the beneficiaries are 50-64. Of all disabled workers, just over 27% have been diagnosed with mental disorders other than retardation and fewer than 25% have musculoskeletal disabilities. Only 1 in 500 workers receiving a social security disability benefit ever return to work.

If approved for Social Security Disability Insurance, they will use a formula to determine exactly how much you will receive. As of May 2009, the average disabled beneficiary of SSDI was bringing in $1,062 per month. If necessary, these individuals could be awarded an additional $284 for a dependent spouse and $318.30 for a child under 18. The disability determination services office is often flooded with applicants, so this process can take anywhere from 90 days to over a year to go through. This may seem outrageous for someone who is truly in need, but consider that in March 2007, there was a backlog of 1,463,153 applications awaiting approval.

Taking a Look at Short Term Disability Insurance

n 2005 alone, there were more than 24 million disabling injuries. That's 2,750 every hour, says the National Safety Council! While all of these incidents did not result in permanent injury or the need for long term disability insurance, they did require some time off and many people were concerned about lost wages and how to cover basic living expenses. Luckily, most working adults pay into a system of disability insurance through their employers, so they'll be covered should they ever need it. Self-employed individuals and contract employees may opt into a similar system to protect their wages as well.

One type of short-term disability insurance applies to the states of California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island only. These locations offer State Disability Insurance benefits, which may also be referred to as temporary disability insurance. When a person comes down with an illness or non-work-related injury that is expected to last for a short amount of time, they can receive partial wage replacement under this program. These state programs pay maternity disability benefits for pregnancy and childbirth as well.

Workers may be able to go back to work -- either with the same employer or a different employer -- and will still receive a certain percentage of their new pay. The money for these programs is paid through automatic payroll deductions, so any non-government employee is eligible, even if they are currently out of work. (However, they will not be eligible for SDI and unemployment insurance at the same time.)

Once you apply for short-term disability insurance, you will have to wait to see if you're approved. On average, this can take anywhere from one day to 14 days. If approved, you will receive back-pay for the waiting period.

Injuries generally clear much faster than illnesses, for which you will need a medical doctor to provide verification documentation on your disability insurance claims. If you disagree with the rejection of your claim, then you may appeal the determination, file a lawsuit or both. If you intend to appear in court, it's advisable to have an attorney who specializes in disability benefits law.

Short-term disability insurance frees you from worrying about how you're going to pay the bills or cover basic daily expenses as you recuperate from a sudden illness or injury. In some cases, you may be quite certain that you're filing for disability long term, but you must first make a claim for short-term benefits and then re-apply for long-term benefits once your temporary disability insurance runs out. In some cases, you will need to apply for social security disability if you are over age 65 or worker's compensation if you were hurt on the job. You aren't mandated to stay at home for the entire time you're rehabilitating; in fact, many employers encourage you to come back to work, even in part-time as you heal.

Keeping Veterans Waiting For Benefits

Many American military veterans are frustrated by the backlog of disability claims that are keeping them waiting on their benefits. In the state of Oklahoma, for example, it is taking twice as long as the usual average length of time to process a veterans claim. There are currently around 7,000 unfinished claims in Oklahoma, due to a backlog at the Veterans Affairs Department. The federal agency handles most state level cases, and with a growing number of wounded and disabled veterans returning from warzones in Iraq and Afghanistan, an already backlogged system is just getting increasingly behind.

The Veterans Affairs Department has long had a backlog of disability benefit claims. However, there are several factors now contributing to an increase in the number of backlogged disability cases. The veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are experiencing injuries that complicate the process. This is mainly head trauma, often blunt trauma, that results from explosions like those from Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs, commonly used in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only is the process already complicated and prone to human error, but these types of injuries also cause additional confusion and difficulty properly completing the paperwork. The forms are lengthy and complex, and if patients do not fill them out properly or provide incorrect iinformation, the Veterans Affairs Department must write them back requesting the proper information, and the patient must turn around and file paperwork again. This, of course, slows down the process and lengthens the time it takes for a veteran to receive benefits.

The Veterans Affairs Web site showed that, in the first four months of 2009, veterans' disability claims unfinished and still in progress had grown by over 100,000 than the previous count. With this rapidly climbing number of backlogged cases, agencies under the Veterans Affairs Department have attempted to rush the hiring and training of new employees to process the claims. But quick hiring difficult, and like many other jobs the position is technical and detailed. It can take a year or more to train a new person in the position, and the importance of accuracy and attention to detail is compounded by making decisions that affect people's lives and livelihood as well as keeping thorough government records.

Oklahoma is expected to see further growth in the number of claims, but the situation there looks better than in other states. Eventually, with an increase in funding and new hires, the backlogged system may return to its normal state. However, with a government currently bogged down with the cost of stimulus packages, a hazy economic outlook, rising unemployment, and the further problems of many individual states enmeshed in budget crises of their own, it is questionable as to whether or not additional funding in significant amounts will be forthcoming.

What You Should Know About Long Term Disability Benefits

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, each individual has a 1 in 5 chance of becoming disabled at some point in life. Moreover, the Council for Disability Awareness says the average long term disability benefits last for only 2.5 years, which can leave people without a steady income for a long period of time. Emotions run high when an injury results in disability. Not only does the individual worry, "How am I going to pay for my medical treatment," but they also worry "How will I afford the time off from work?" The good news is that many people are eligible for disability income insurance, which can help them get by.

When you are sick or injured, you will first begin by filing for short term disability insurance, which will cover you for a few weeks or up to six months. Once your short term benefits expire, your long term disability benefits will kick in. Each month, you will receive a flat-rate percentage of your income, which is usually around 50 to 60%. The best policies can provide as much as 80% and will pay cost-of-living adjustment increases over the years to keep up with inflation. Your benefits can be paid for 2 to 5 years or until you're 65, at which time you will be eligible to apply for Social Security.

Ideally, a person would use their long term disability benefits as a supplement, while they continue to work part-time, perhaps performing different duties than they're used to. As an incentive, many insurers offer employers reduced premiums if they allow workers to return in some facet. Insurers may also cover child care expenses during that time to encourage new mothers to return to work at least part-time. However, working is not always possible, particularly for debilitating injuries or illnesses like cancer. One in seven people can expect to be off from work for five or more years before retiring, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.

Long term disability benefits vary depending on which policy has been purchased, so you should check with your employer to determine whether that arrangement is suitable or whether you need to purchase individual insurance. For instance, some policies pay disability insurance claims if you can't perform your old job tasks (partial disability), while others only cover you if you can't work any job at all (total disability).

Some policy options include "residual benefits," which makes up for lost income if you can still work but not perform all your normal tasks. Some policies also offer cost-of-living adjustments, which increases payouts from 4 to 10%. You may have a waiting period of as short as 90 days or as long as six months before you are allowed to collect. Also, the length of coverage may last anywhere from two years to five years, or until your turn 65 and can apply for Social Security benefits.

Social Security Benefits For Your Children

Although most people tend to associate social security disability with adults, it also applies to children for a variety of reasons. If you are a parents or guardian who is receiving social security benefits for a disabled child, there are a few things that you may want to know about the program and how it works.

Once the child reaches the age of 18, the money dispersements change quite a bit. If a child was receiving benefits up until that time, then the benefits will stop within the month before the child reaches the age of 18. This can differ depending upon whether the child is in full-time school such as high school or college and if the child is unmarried. If so, then the payments can continue as long as a new form is filled out.

If the benefits are set up to stop at age 18, then the child can start receiving benefits again if he or she becomes disabled before reaching the age 22 or if he or she enrolls in college or continues in primary schooling. Once again, a new form must be filled out in order to start receiving benefits again.

If your child does continue on to go to college and secondary school, he or she is eligible for help for that schooling. Forms must be filled out in order to gain assistance for school related activities. However, if the child gets married, is convicted of a crime, drops out of school, is expelled, suspended or changes schools, the social security committee must be notified immediately. Some of these circumstances can change the amount of money that your child receives or it can terminate the money they receive all together.

Answering Your Disability Benefits Questions

Becoming disabled is no laughing matter. For many it means that they can no longer hold a steady job due to their disability. The disability may be a physical one in which they cannot stay on their feet for long period of time or lift anything due to a muscle injury. The injury may be a psychological one that severely limits their interaction with other people.

The sad fact is that many people become disabled and do not know what to do next. This article will address some of the more common questions you or a loved one might have about disability benefits. It definitely pays to be informed and hopefully you will be able to understand the process behind receiving benefits if you are disabled and unable to work any longer.

What are disability benefits?

When a person becomes injured in the United States, they can sometimes find themselves unable to work or earn an income based on their particular injury. If this happens, the United States government has made it possible for them to draw disability benefits. The benefits come from the Social Security Office and are based on what they have paid in over the course of their working career.

In the case of someone who has never been able to work due to a disability, they still can receive monetary and health benefits through the same office. The benefits are a check that is paid every month to help them with living expenses. The benefits are paid either through the Social Security disability insurance program and the Supplemental Social Security Income program. The ability to receive these benefits will largely depend on exactly what disability that person has and to what extent they are able, if any, to work.

Why was my disability claim denied?

There are hundreds of reasons why disability claims are denied each year. It may be that you did not provide the right documentation. It could be that your disability is not on their covered disabilities list. It may be that you have a felony warrant out for your arrest for some crime and did not report it. It could even be that the panel feels that your condition will improve within a year and render you unable to receive benefits. That is why it is essential that you read everything you can about disability benefits and understand all of the documentation that you will need in order to be qualified.

How do you fight or appeal to get your disability benefits approved?

If the government denies your disability claim you will receive a letter stating why you have been denied disability benefits. But do not lose hope. You can appeal the process but you should know that sometimes the appeal process takes years. You may be denied several times and require a disability attorney to handle your case for you. Many people find themselves going to court to prove their disability and having to get a judge rule on their case. There are several levels that you can go through in order to get your case heard and passed through.

Do I continuously report in to my case worker for my disability benefits?

Generally you only need to report to your case worker if something changes in your status. If you find that you want to try going back to work, talk to your case worker. There are programs set up to help you test your disability while still allowing you to receive benefits and Medicare. The Social Security Administration can help you find a job that may be perfectly suited for your particular disability.

Cheap Disability Life Insurance

Most families don't have enough disability life insurance. If you are one of those families, chances are you don't have it because it is too expensive. Sometimes you don't have the time to apply for one. You keep putting it to tomorrow.

Well, if you find the right insurance company to provide you with what you need, you will have your disability life insurance is no time. You will have the insurance protection that you and your family deserve.

There are even some companies who provide their clients an independent advantage just for signing up for a policy.

You don't have to pressure yourself in getting one. Some companies offer their disability life insurance rates and policies on their website. You can just go there and read their quotes. Other companies also make it easier for their clients by allowing all the transactions to be safely and effectively done over the phone. Some are even done through the mail.

You don't have to line up or meet a sales person or spend hours just looking for the right disability life insurance for you. You can do these all on your own.

Have you ever thought of this happening? What if your last payday was your actual last payday? What will you do for money? How would you pay daily expenses like electricity, mortgage, gas, food, car, and other insurance if there's no money coming in?

If you don't have a paycheck for the next three months, can you see yourself surviving?

A number of Americans know the need for health insurance, life insurance, car insurance, and home insurance. Nonetheless, they still think about insuring their ability when it comes to their work.

They understand that it is very important to acknowledge the fact that they should have an insurance in their income or what is also known as disability life insurance, just in case they get to the point when they can no longer work for a period of time.

Here's an example of disability life insurance. Imagine that there is a person who is earning $45,000. If he works for 30 years, he will have $1.35 million. This does not include the annual bonuses as well as the increase. It is only practical that the individual files for some kind of disability life insurance.

The thought of becoming disabled may not enter a person's thoughts but there is a possibility of that happening so it pays to be prepared when it does happen. With disability life insurance, one can keep a steady income from flowing in.