What Types of Social Security Disability Benefits are Available?

 There are two commonly available types of Social Security disability benefits available to individuals:  Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Disability Insurance Benefits

DIB is available to individuals who have paid “premiums” into the system 20 of the past 40 fiscal quarters.  In other words, you would have had to work five of the past 10 years (not necessarily in a row) and had the Social Security deduction taken from your paycheck and paid over to Social Security.

Disability Insurance Benefits consist of a monthly monetary benefit based on what you have paid into the system.  DIB also typically includes Medicare, which pays for your medical treatment and sometimes a monthly monetary benefit for your children.

Supplemental Security Income

Supplemental Security Income on the other hand is needs based.  You cannot exceed certain benchmarks relating to personal property, real property and household income among others in order to qualify.

It is analogous to the requirements for eligibility to collect food stamps and other social services.  You do not need to have paid any of the “premiums” that DIB requires.

SSI also consists of a monthly monetary benefit, but it is a fixed amount determined by the Supplemental Security Administration and is not based on the amount of money you have paid into the system.

Supplemental Security Income has Medicaid attached, which usually pays for both your medical treatment and medications.  Unfortunately it does not include a monthly monetary benefit for your children.

The medical requirements are the same for both types of disability; they differ only in the technical requirements for eligibility outlined above.

Sometimes individuals may draw both types, while others may have their SSI canceled out solely due to the amount of the monthly DIB monetary benefit they draw rather than any of the external factors discussed.

If you suffer from a severe impairment that is expected to last more than twelve months and that prevents you from doing any of your past or other work, please contact our office nearest to you to set up a free consultation appointment to discuss your situation.