What is the Difference Between SSD & SSI?

Probably one of the very most common questions in regard to Social Security disability is what the difference is between SSD (Social Security Disability) and SSI (Supplemental Security Income). Most people are not even aware that there are two different disability programs offered by SSA. Both have different criteria and different benefits, and elements of the two are often mashed into a misconception of what “disability” is.

Social Security Disability (SSD)

In order to be considered for receipt of SSD benefits, you must:

1.       Be of 18 years of age or older;

2.       Have worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify; and

3.       Have a medical condition that has prevented you from working and is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months, or result in death.

What does it mean to have worked long enough to qualify? This means you must have paid Social Security taxes for enough quarters. For peopled aged 31 and over, they must earn at least twenty quarters in the ten years prior to becoming disabled. Typically, if a person has worked five out of the last ten years consistently, that person would have earned twenty quarters of coverage. Younger individuals 30 and under must earn at least twelve quarters out of the last six years. Workers who become disabled prior to age 24 must have six quarters out of the last three years. This is why it is important to file for benefits as soon as you become disabled. If you wait too long, you will no longer be entitled to the money you have paid into the system.

This is where the Date Last Insured (DLI) comes into play. This is the final date that Social Security considers a person to be qualified for benefits. For example, if you stop working in 2005, your DLI will most likely fall in 2010. If you file for SSD in 2012, you must prove you have been disabled since before 2010, the date you were “last insured” for benefits.

Your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) that you see on your SSA statements is the money you would receive if you are found disabled. The Family Maximum (FMAX) is the maximum amount of money you would receive if you also claim dependents in your household. After receiving disability benefits for two years, SSD recipients are automatically given Medicare coverage.

Supplemental Security Income

This is a needs-based program funded by federal tax dollars. In order to qualify, you must:

1.       Be aged (65+), blind or disabled;

2.       Have limited income and resources; and

3.       Be a U.S. citizen.

Because SSI is needs-based, you must prove that you are in need of assistance to provide food, clothing, shelter and medical care to yourself. Basic qualifications include possessing less than $2,000 in any and all bank accounts, owning no more than one property that is your residence and no more than one vehicle. Claimants who are married are allowed up to $3,000 in their bank accounts.

The current amount a SSI recipient would receive is $698 per month. This is adjusted periodically for cost of living (COLA). The last adjustment occurred just recently in October of 2011. The next COLA will be announced in October, 2012. SSI recipients also receive Medicaid.

It is important to know what your options are if you are faced with the daunting situation of becoming disabled. If you are still unsure of what programs you may qualify for, you can use BEST, which is Social Security’s Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool. You may qualify for one program or the other, or it is also possible to qualify for both programs. For more information, please visit ssa.gov.

Written by Anna Westfall & Attorney Andrew November

If you need assistance with your SSD or SSI claim, please contact us by clicking here. We have offices in Mentor, Cleveland, Ashtabula, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo and Lorain for your convenience!