The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) not only administers retirement benefits to older Americans, but it also provides disability benefits under 2 entirely different programs:
SSDI - (Social Security Disability Insurance), is for individuals who have worked at least 10 years and paid FICA withholding. Maximum benefit in 2020 is $3,011 per month.*
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) - is for very low income individuals who have not worked enough to get SSDI. Maximum benefit in Alabama is $771 per month for an individual.
While the maximum SSDI benefit is $3,011 per month for an individual, the actual benefit is determined by the claimant's lifetime earnings.
The road to getting benefits under either SSDI or SSI is a long haul.
Every time the government announces changes to the disability programs ("improvements"), you can bet on one thing: they're making benefits harder to get.
When we opened our office nearly two decades ago, the average approval rate at a hearing was 62 percent nationwide. Today, it is down to 42 percent.
Hiring an advocate to represent you increases your chance of being approved. Relatively few claimants attempt SSDI or SSI on their own (unrepresented). This usually involves going before a judge who will demand proof that you meet the rules and regulations for a benefit.
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