You might know someone who’s out of work due to an injury or handicap and collects disability, but do you know exactly what that means? Disability insurance is a payment the federal government sends to individuals who are unable to work due to a narrowly defined set of qualifications. A person can be deemed disabled for a short time, long-term, or for their entire lives, depending on their affliction and potential for recovery.
What is Social Security Disability Income?
Before you start searching for Iowa disability lawyers, you should know exactly what disability income is. When someone is declared disabled, they are eligible to receive social security disability income (SSDI), which comes from the social security taxes they’ve been paying out of their income for as long as they’ve been working. There are qualifications to receive this type of income, such as age, years of employment, or the amount earned while working.
What Qualifies as a Disability?
The Social Security Office narrowly defines disabilities. A person is considered disabled if they have a severe medical condition that prevents them from being able to work. It must last or be expected to last at least one year or cause their death at some point in time. Not only does this disability have to keep people from doing the job they previously had, but it also must keep from them doing any other type of work they’re qualified for.
How Much Are the Payments?
Disability payments are modest and usually only account for a small percentage of the person’s previous income. In fact, according to the Social Security website, the amounts awarded were barely enough to surpass the 2018 poverty line, so people will often need to seek support from friends or family members as well.
Social security disability income can help those who can’t work but can be difficult to live on as a sole income.