SSDI Payments in Parkersburg

If you have a disability, you may wonder what kind of benefits you can get and in what amount. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has two programs to help provide for people with disabilities—Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). People with disabilities may qualify for one or both of those programs. Understanding the difference between the two, and how to qualify for them, can help you understand what benefits you can get.

SSI is a needs-based program. If someone has a disability and meets the income qualifications, then they can get SSI benefits, even if they do not have a substantial work history. SSDI is instead based on your work history. SSDI payments in Parkersburg are somewhat connected to pre-disability income since they depend on the credits a person contributed to their SSA account over a lifetime. Call our compassionate SSDI attorneys to discuss how we can help.

Workers Must Qualify for SSDI Benefits

While work history is not necessary for SSI eligibility, it is essential in order to get SSDI benefits. Every time a person has money taken out of their paycheck for payroll taxes, the employer takes out money for Social Security. Those payments serve two purposes: retirement funds and disability funds.  However, unlike many conventional forms of private insurance, this insurance is not instantly accessible—in order to qualify for SSDI benefits, an applicant must have the required number of work credits. People pay for their SSDI through payroll taxes and contribute to Social Security taxes. The payments translate into credits, which the SSA uses to determine eligibility for SSDI. A person can earn up to four credits per year, regardless of income, but high-earners achieve those credits quickly, while it can take lower-wage earners the whole year to make those credits.

The worker’s age also matters. Generally, a person needs 40 work credits to qualify for SSDI in Parkersburg, with 20 of those credits coming in the last 10 years. For younger workers, the total number of credits is lower. Individuals who work part-time or are semi-retired will have a more difficult time meeting eligibility requirements.

Understanding SSDI Benefit Amounts

When people discuss SSDI benefit amounts, it is vital to understand that the amount of your SSDI payments is based on your individual work history and contributions. There will be a maximum amount of benefits an individual can receive per month, which can adjust every year. For those who qualify for family benefits, the benefits range from approximately 85 percent to 150 percent of the individual benefit.

To determine how much of the maximum amount a person can receive, the SSA looks at average monthly earnings. It is the only factor they use to determine the disability payments, not the length of the disability, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, or other factors that would influence a damage award in a personal injury lawsuit. Having other sources of income can also influence the amount of an SSDI award.

Payments for SSDI Dependent Benefits

SSDI offers dependent benefits and benefits for spouses in Parkersburg. For children to get benefits, they must be unmarried and under the age of 18, unless those children are also adopted. However, the SSA has a broad definition of children. In addition to including biological and adopted children, they also include stepchildren. Individual dependent benefits can be up to half of the primary person’s disability amounts. The SSA has a family limit of 150 to 180 percent of the primary claim, so families with more children will have a lower per-person percentage amount.

Speak With a Parkersburg Attorney About SSDI Payments You Might Receive

Securing SSDI benefits can be challenging, but these payments can be substantial enough to keep you and your family from financial difficulties after experiencing a disability. Instead of giving up when you hit a roadblock, you should set up a free consultation and talk to an attorney. We can help you understand the application process for SSDI payments in Parkersburg. Please also check out our SSDI eligibility quiz to learn more.