Are you unable to do your job due to illness or an injury sustained outside of work? Then you need to apply for disability benefits. Disability insurance is a program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This program replaces a portion of wages lost by people who are too sick or injured to work. There are two types of disability benefits. Short-term disability is for periods of time less than six months. Long-term disability is for the length of the illness or injury, or until retirement. Disability is a great program to help people who are unable to work pay for necessary items like rent and groceries.
Applying for disability insurance can be a very confusing process. Most people think that their doctors know all about disability. This is generally untrue. Most doctors know about as much as you do. Don’t get discouraged. Just like every government program, dealing with the SSA requires patience and persistence. A professional that deals with disability claims on a daily basis can be extremely helpful in speeding up the process.
People who are new to receiving disability benefits usually have many questions. Government statistics are available that show what most people experience, and what to expect. Here are a few:
* Everyone is eligible for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI)
* Average SSDI payment was $1,145 per month in 2014.
* Average length of short-term claims is 26 weeks.
* Average salary replacement is 60% of earnings.
* 40% of all workers have access to private disability insurance.
* The cost of private disability coverage is paid by the employer, not employees.
* Low-paid service workers rarely have private disability coverage (10%)
* Service workers are most likely to need disability coverage.
* SSDI payments are usually much slower than employer-supplied programs due to delays in applying and processing.
As you can see, most people who require disability benefits will apply for SSDI (60% of workers). The key to receiving benefits quickly is to contact a professional. Disability specialists know what documentation is required for a claim. They can obtain all relevant medical records from your doctor for you. They also get claims filed and processed faster than you can by yourself. This lessens the gap between the illness or injury and the first benefit payment. Once you start receiving your disability payments, you can stop worrying about money and concentrate on healing your body and getting back to work.
