Social Security Income

You can receive Social Security benefits for several reasons.  Social Security benefits are available when you retire, survivor’s benefits when a family member dies, and when a person becomes disabled.

General Social Security Benefits

Social Security Disability benefits are paid to persons because they cannot work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death.  Federal law requires this very strict definition.  Social security does not pay partial or short-term disability like some other programs. Each worker pays into the social security system through the payroll taxes that are taken out of their paycheck based on a formula.  Your employer also pays payroll taxes into the system.

SSI Elgibility

Social Security Disability is a form of insurance. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) makes payments to people who are low income and have limited resources, blind, disabled, or 65 and over. The amount of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) a person can receive from the federal government is the same nationwide.  Some states do supplement the amount given by the federal government.

Social Security Benefit Limits

You can receive income from other sources and receive Social Security benefits.  You can also receive Social Security benefits and Workman’s Compensation benefits. Social Security limits the total of benefits you receive from Social Security Disability and Workman’s Compensation programs cannot exceed 80 percent of your average current earnings before you became disabled. 

Social Security Benefit Legal Help

You do have the right to have representation concerning any aspect of social security.  Your representative can be an experience social security benefit attorney or other qualified person.  Legal representation is advisable when dealing with the technical nature of disability claims or issues involving eligibility.