Types of Social Security Disability Benefits
Depending on your work background, financial situation and family status, you can apply for different Social Security Disability programs.
All of them require you to prove you can’t work because of health problems. But they have different rules for your work history and finances:
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). If you worked for years and paid into the system, you should be covered for SSDI and deserve benefits when you need them. SSDI pays monthly checks calculated in part based on your earnings when you worked.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When health problems prevent you from working and you don’t have a long or recent work record, you could receive SSI. To qualify for SSI, you must have extremely limited financial resources.
- Disabled Adult Child Benefits. Some people who’ve had health limitations from a young age, could never work much, and are adults now, can receive benefits through their parents’ eligibility for SSDI.
Other family members can also get Social Security Disability benefits in certain situations, such as children with disabilities, spouses of qualifying workers, and surviving family members of workers.
Your first step in applying for disability benefits could be talking to FVG to determine which benefits to seek and what you’ll need for your application.
