When you have any kind of disability, whether it’s one that affects the mind or one that affects the body, you’ll find that it’s usually hard to find any kind of work so that you have income. Not having a regular income means that you can’t pay for the necessities that you need for the home or bills that include rent, utilities or a car payment. You can complete an application to get social security benefits that can help you live your life, but there are a few things that you need to know.
Long Process
One of the things that you want to keep in mind when you apply is that it can be a long process until you get accepted. Some people wait a few months while others wait a year or more. If you can get your doctor on board to provide the needed paperwork as quickly as possible, then it can help to speed up the process.
Qualifications
You want to go to the social security office to find out what the qualifications are to get benefits. You might have to be disabled for a certain amount of time, or you might need to have a specific kind of disability. A lawyer, like the professionals at Clearfield & Kofsky, can help you sort through the paperwork behind qualifying for social security.
Amount Of The Benefits
Once you are approved, you might want to know how much you would get in benefits each month. A good thing to keep in mind is that most states will pay back what you would have received for each month after the application process was started if you are determined disabled. This is paid out in one lump sum in most cases. The amount of your benefits will be based on how long you have worked and how much you have paid into the government system. Payments are calculated based on the work record to date. There are also benefits available for your spouse or children depending on their ages or if children who are over 18 are students.
Retirement
When you begin receiving disability benefits, you might wonder if it will affect your social security benefits when you’re old enough to retire. In most cases, you will simply continue to get the same amount each month, but it will be listed as social security retirement instead of disability benefits.
There are a few things that you should be prepared for when applying for disability. The process itself from beginning to end can take a good bit of time. Your benefits usually won’t stop once they are started unless there is a significant change in your condition.
Author Bio: Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer living in Boston, MA. When not writing, she enjoys reading and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +
