The Social Security Administration provides help for approximately 70 million Americans!

While it’s a concept many don’t even consider until they reach old age, it’s crucial to understand it before it becomes a need.

Better sooner than later!

Social Security: How It Helps Millions of Americans

Every form of assistance the SSA provides is intended for helping people dealing with different situations.

Sometimes, it can get pretty confusing, as all of these programs are similar to each other but have different rules and regulations.

But don’t worry!

This article will explain the three biggest programs from the Social Security Administration in a way that’s easy to understand.

Those are:

• Social Security Disability Insurance
• Supplemental Security Income
• Social Security Retirement Benefits

So let’s get started!

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance was created strictly to help disabled individuals and their families.

To qualify for the program, a person must have a work history that meets certain requirements and have one or more of the approved disabilities.

On top of that, the program is applicable to the applicant’s spouses, divorced spouses, children, and disabled children until they turn 22.

Qualifying for SSDI

SSDI is intended for individuals whose disability prevents them from working.

A person like this has to retire much earlier than normal.

Just like any other program, you must meet a set of requirements to qualify for benefits.

Two important factors that the SSA looks at to see if you can get SSDI are:

• Have a history of work in a job that Social Security covers
• Have a medical condition in line with the SSA’s disability definitions

If you do qualify for benefits, you’ll continue receiving them until you reach full retirement age.

After this, your SSDI benefits will transform into standard SS benefits that you’d have begun receiving upon retirement (a.k.a retirement benefits).

How does the SSA define disability?

The Social Security Administration determines a person’s disability based on 5 factors.

The first thing that comes up is whether the person in question is part of the workforce.

After that, the SSA decides whether a person’s condition can be considered severe or not.

Additionally, they’ll look at the SSA List of Medical Conditions to see if a person’s disability is on it.

However, even if the disability is listed, the SSA still has to determine if it prevents them from doing the job they previously did.

If it does, the committee will examine whether the individual is capable of doing any work at all, which completes the evaluation.

How much support can you receive?

In 2023, the maximum amount of support one can receive from SSDI is $3,627.

Unfortunately, not everyone can qualify for this much, as it’s reserved for rare cases.

On average, the typical 2023 SSDI recipient is set to receive around $1,483.

Even though many believe that a person’s disability is what determines the amount of support they get, that’s not the case.

Instead, the SSA calculates a person’s average indexed monthly earnings using their covered earnings over a period of time.

How do you apply?

The application process for SSDI can vary from state to state.

However, there are still certain things that every state has in common.

Overall, the application process should look something like this:

• You review the Adult Disability Checklist and gather all necessary documents and information
• You finish and submit the application to the local SSA office
• After this, the SSA will do a thorough examination and determine if you fit the minimum requirements for SSDI.
• The SSA sends your case file to your state’s Disability Determination Services office once they review
• The Disability Determination Services office makes a decision on your case

Supplemental Security Income

SSI is yet another program that the SSA provides to American residents.

In order to receive benefits from this program, you must be 65 years old.

However, if you’re younger than 65 and have a qualifying disability, you also qualify for SSI.

Regardless, you must have a limited amount of resources and need financial support.

While a disabled person can receive support from this program, it is by no means related to the SSDI.

Even though they share a few similarities, such as the medical requirements, the support provided by both programs is completely different.

That being said, it’s important to note that a person is able to apply to and receive support from both programs without unwanted consequences.

How much support can you receive?

Unlike the SSDI, the SSI program’s maximum amount of support is significantly lower.

In fact, in 2023, an applicant can receive a maximum of $914/month if they’re eligible, $458/month if they’re an eligible essential person, and $1,371/month if they’re an eligible couple.

How do you apply?

Those that are applying with an eligible disability can expect the SSI application process to be very similar to the application for SSDI benefits.

Of course, it will still depend on your circumstance and whether you actually need financial support or not.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a disability and are trying to apply for SSI, you won’t need a fair share of the documentation.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go over the basic requirements multiple times before applying.

Social Security Retirement Benefits

This is the program that you’ve probably heard of.

Through Social Security Retirement Benefits, a person can receive assistance according to their pre-retirement income.

In simple terms, these benefits replace some of the money you used to make before you retired.

The amount a person receives is determined based on the greatest amount of earnings they have made in 35 years.

However, this is just a rough estimate, and the total amount depends on a series of other circumstances and factors.

The most impactful one of these is a person’s age, as one can begin receiving SSR benefits at the age of 62.

To qualify for the program, a person must gather “credits” by working and paying their Social Security tax.

This amount will then go toward their credit total, which determines their eligibility for the program.

For instance, a person born after 1929 would need 40 credits to qualify, which is equivalent to 10 years of work.

However, even if you leave the workforce without enough credits to qualify, there’s still hope.

Every credit you earn remains on your Social Security record, and if you ever return to work you can add more to your total.

Of course, you’ll still have to reach the minimum amount of 40 credits to benefit from the program.

How much support can you receive?

This year, the maximum amount of support a person can receive through this program is $4,194.

Normally, this amount doesn’t apply to everyone, and the average is significantly lower.

The support you’ll receive depends on numerous factors, and there are always options to maximize it.

You can do this by retiring when you turn 70, having the highest taxable income, and having at least 35 years of work history.

In general, the SSA calculates earnings for the majority of workers in the US in the same way.

Despite this, some special rules may apply depending on the type of earnings. These rules are applicable to:

• Federal Government Employment
• Household Employment
• Railroad Earnings
• Self-Employment
• Working Outside the US
• State and Local Government Employment
• Nonprofit and Religious Organizations
• Military Service
• Farm Work

How do you apply?

Applying for SSR benefits is fairly simple.

You can do it over the phone, in person, or even online.

It’s important to add that you will be required to provide some personal information.

This includes details like:

• Name
• Children’s names
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Social security number
• Financial information
• Work information

Final word

There’s loads of programs that the SSA makes available to help those in need of assistance.

Every single one of these opportunities has its own qualifications and specialized benefits.

You should contact your local SSA office if you want to stay up to date on information.

They will give you further instructions on what you can do to start receiving benefits from some of these programs.

You may be able to benefit from more support than you realize!