5.1. Guide to Social Security Benefits (AIDS) Part 2 -- What Benefits Are You Eligible For?
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This article is from the AIDS FAQ, by Dan Greening with numerous contributions by others.
5.1. Guide to Social Security Benefits (AIDS) Part 2 -- What Benefits Are You Eligible For?
We pay disability benefits under two programs: Social Security
Disability Insurance, sometimes referred to as SSDI, and Supplemental
Security Income, often called SSI. The medical requirements are the
same for both programs, and your disability is determined by the same
process. However, there are major differences in the nonmedical
factors, which are explained in the next two sections.
Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits: The Nonmedical Rules Of
Eligibility
Here are examples of how people qualify for SSDI:
o Most people qualify for Social Security disability by working,
paying Social Security taxes, and in turn, earning "credits" toward
eventual benefits. The maximum number of credits you can earn each
year is 4. The number of credits you need to qualify for disability
depends on your age when you become disabled. Nobody needs more than
40 credits and young people can qualify with as few as 6 credits.
o Disabled widows and widowers age 50 or older could be eligible for a
disability benefit on the Social Security record of a deceased spouse.
o Disabled children age 18 or older could be eligible for dependent's
benefits on the Social Security record of a parent who is getting
retirement or disability benefits, or on the record of a parent who
has died. (The disability must have started before age 22.)
o Children under the age of 18 qualify for dependents benefits on the
record of a parent who is getting retirement or disability benefits,
or on the record of a parent who has died, merely because they are
under age 18.
For more information about Social Security disability benefits in
general, ask Social Security for a copy of the booklet, Disability
(Publication No. 05-10029).
How Much Will Your Benefits Be?
How much your Social Security benefit will be depends on your earnings
history. Generally, higher earnings translate into higher Social
Security benefits. You can find out how much you will get by
contacting Social Security and asking for an estimate of your
benefits. We'll give you a form you can use to send for a free
statement that contains a record of your earnings and an estimate of
your benefits. In addition to checking your benefit, we encourage you
to use this statement to verify that your earnings have been properly
recorded in our files. It's important that you do this because any
missing or unreported wages could lower your Social Security benefit
or even prevent you from qualifying for disability benefits. If you
find a problem, contact your local Social Security office right away,
show them proof of your actual wages, and the record will be
corrected. This can be particularly important for people who have
tested positive for HIV but have not developed symptoms, so that any
potential benefits will not be delayed by wage correction
efforts. Disabled widows, widowers, and children eligible for benefits
as a dependent on a spouse's or parent's Social Security record
receive an amount that is a percentage of the worker's Social Security
benefit.
Supplemental Security Income: The Nonmedical Rules Of Eligibility
SSI is a program that pays monthly benefits to people with low incomes
and limited assets who are 65 or older, or blind, or disabled. As its
name implies, "Supplemental" Security Income "supplements" a person's
income up to a certain level that can go up every year based on
cost-of-living adjustments. The level varies from one state to
another, so check with your local Social Security office to find out
more about SSI benefit levels in your state. We don't count all the
income you have when we figure out if you qualify for SSI. And if you
work, there are special rules we use for counting your wages. Again,
check with Social Security to find out if you can get SSI. In addition
to rules about income, people on SSI must have limited
assets. Generally, individuals with assets under $2000, or couples
with assets under $3000, can qualify for SSI. However, when we figure
your assets, we don't count such items as your home, your car (unless
it's an expensive one), and most of your personal belongings. Your
Social Security office can tell you more about the income and asset
limits. For more general information, ask for a copy of the booklet,
SSI (Publication No. 05-11000).
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