FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I received SSDI and SSI?
Yes! A person may receive both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
This usually happens where a person worked 5 of the last 10 years, but their earnings weren’t very high. Thus, the amount they receive under SSDI is less than the amount they would receive under SSI. Because SSI is a supplemental income benefit, it only comes into play when a person has resources not to exceed $2,000 per individual or $3,000 per couple and they must be under the SSI income level. Therefore if a person is receiving SDI benefits, He/She would only receive additional benefits under SSI if the amount was low.
If you are disabled and qualify for both SSI and SSDI benefits, you may also receive both Medi-Cal and Medicare benefits. If you do receive Medicare benefits you should look into a program that manages it for you, such as Secure Horizons, Kaiser etc. Often you can find a lot of benefits offered at no cost to you.
How Does the Social Security Administration Determine If You Are Disabled?
Disability is defined as "the inability to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. To meet this definition, you must have a severe impairment, which makes you unable to do your previous work or any other substantial gainful activity which exists in the national economy. READ MORE
Qualification for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits
The social security disability process is a notoriously long process that can often take years from the time when an application is submitted to when benefits are received.
There are many reasons for the lengthy delay, but the main reasons is the high volume of applications and the small number of social security staff reviewing all of the applications...READ MORE
There are four basic requirements that someone must meet in order to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits:
(1) Individual must have enough Social Security earnings to be insured for disability;
(2) Individual applies for the benefits;
(3) Individual has a disability, or is not now disabled but had a disability that ended within the 12-month period before the month he applied; and
(4) Individual has been disabled for five consecutive months.
Social Security Disability Compassionate Allowances
How long does it take to get my benefits?
A lot of it depends on the caseload of your local Social Security Administration office and it also depends on which phase of the process your claim is approved.
Initial Application Phase:
It usually takes between 3 and 6 months for you to get a decision back on your initial application. The overwhelming majority of claims are denied in the initial application phase and you are usually given 60 days to appeal the decision.
Reconsideration Appeal:
If you decide to appeal a denied claim, it will again take between 3 and 6 months for the Social Security Administration to examine your Reconsideration Appeal and make a decision.
Administrative Hearing:
If your claim is still denied, then your next step in getting your claim approved is to request a hearing where an administrative law judge will listen to your case.
Scheduling a Social Security Disability Hearing will often take between 1 and 2 years. This hearing is where you will have your best chance of being awarded Disability Benefits. After your hearing, it will usually take 4 to 6 weeks before you get a decision back from the judge.
The entire process can clearly take a long time which is why it is beneficial for you to allow us to help you throughout the entire process and ensure you receive the benefits you deserve.