Monthly Disability Benefits | Waterbury SSD Lawyer | Monthly Social Security Disability Benefits | SSD | SSDI | SSI
If you live in Waterbury and are applying for Social Security disability benefits, you will want to have a clear idea of how much money you will receive each month from the Social Security Administration. While a person’s SSDI check varies based on his or her work history and prior earnings, this page can help you estimate what your monthly benefit check will be. We can also put you in touch with an experienced Waterbury SSDI attorney who can help you start receiving benefits as quickly as possible. Thousands of disabled people in Waterbury are supported each month by SSDI and SSI benefit checks.
SSDI Benefits in Waterbury
In order qualify for SSDI benefits in Waterbury or anywhere in the country, you must have spent enough time paying into the system. This means you must have held a job where Social Security taxes were taken out of your paycheck. In addition, to qualify you must suffer from such a serious medical condition that the Social Security Administration would consider you disabled.
How To Qualify for SSDI Benefits:
- You must be a citizen of the United States or permanent resident.
- You must be under age 65 and not yet be eligible for Social Security retirement.
- You must have worked recently and for a long enough period.
- Under the SSA’s definition, you must be considered disabled.
For more information on whether or not you are disabled according to the SSA and who will make that determination, check out the statutory provision discussing Disability Determinations.
How much will I receive in my monthly SSDI disability benefits check?
A person’s SSDI benefits will vary based on his or her prior income. A good rule of thumb is the more you paid into the system, the more you will able to receive once you are declared disabled.
One’s monthly SSDI check will be a percentage of that person’s average earnings over the previous years. For instance, if you made $42,000 a year you would receive, on average, around $18,700 in disability payments each year, or roughly 45 percent of your former income. In November 2010, the average monthly benefit paid to anyone receiving SSDI benefits was $1,067. If the Social Security Administration approves your disability case, you will receive a letter detailing what your monthly benefit check will be.
Back Pay of SSDI Benefits
If you are eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you may also qualify for back pay. The amount of back pay you may qualify for depends on what date the Social Security Administration believes your disability started. You will receive a lump sum covering the period from the date of your disability’s onset to the date your application for disability was approved, minus payments from the five-month “waiting period” that all Social Security disability claimants are subject to.
Average Cost of Living
Depending upon where you actually live, for example Waterbury, your actual social security check amount will help you more than in other cities. The Social Security Administration looks at what the cost of living every year. A Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is an automatic adjustment in benefits that occurs annually. The purpose of the COLA is to ensure that the purchasing power of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits is not eroded by inflation. You can research Waterbury to see how it compares to other cities by utilizing a cost of living calculator. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically if there is an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), from the third quarter of the year in which a COLA was last determined to the third quarter of the current year. If the cost of living is lower in Waterbury than in other places, your monthly disability check would stretch farther than if you lived in a more expensive place.
SSI Benefits in Waterbury
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits provide monthly checks to disabled people who have low income and few resources. This program is funded by general federal tax revenue, not Social Security taxes like Social Security Disability Insurance.
How To Qualify for SSI Benefits:
- You must be a U.S. citizen
- You must earn less than a specified amount
- You must have limited resources
- You must be disabled according to the SSA's definition
How much money will I receive in my monthly SSI disability benefits checks?
The maximum monthly SSI check for an individual in 2011 was $674 and was $1,011 for a couple. The amount of other income you can receive each month and still get SSI benefits depends partly on where in the country you live. Generally, SSI's income limitation says you cannot make more than your SSI payment each month, or the Federal Benefit Rate.
But keep in mind that some parts of your income will not count towards whether you qualify for SSI, including the first $65 you make on the job, the first $20 you receive, or any food stamps or housing assistance you private nonprofits give you
Also, you cannot have above a set level of resources to qualify for SSI. The SSA considers something to be a resource if it is liquid, meaning you can convert it into cash to support yourself. Such resources include bank accounts, cash, stock, bonds and real estate. You may qualify for SSI if you resources do not total above $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.
Certain resources do not count towards your resources for the SSA's calculations. These include your home, life insurance policies, your vehicle and any burial plots.
Concurrent SSI & SSDI Benefits
Many people in Waterbury receive both SSI and SSDI benefits. If you hope to receive both kinds of disability benefits, make sure you file for both when you initially apply. Your Waterbury Social Security disability lawyer can help you determine if this option is right for you given your situation and specific circumstances.
Reduction of Benefits
There are some instances in which your social security benefits may be reduced. To find out more, read the statute concerning Reduction of Disability Benefits; also, speak with your Waterbury social security lawyer to find out how to avoid a reduction in your benefits.
Social Security Disability Attorneys Serve Waterbury and Surrounding Cities
Serving clients throughout Western Central Connecticut, including Ansonia, Bridgeport, Cheshire, Danbury, Eastchester, Elizabeth, Fairfield, Glen Cove, Hamden, Harrison, Hartsdale, Larchmont, Lewisboro, Mamaroneck, Meriden, Milford, New Fairfield, New Haven, New Rochele, New York, Newark, North Haven, Norwalk, Orange, Oxford, Paterson, Port Chester, Ridgefield, Rye, Scarsdale, Shelton, Smithtown, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Union City, Wallingford, Waterbury, West Haven, Westport, White Plains, Yonkers, areas in the vicinity of Waterbury-Oxford Airport, and other communities in New Haven County.
Act now to get your social security disability claims filed and processed by an experienced Waterbury lawyer so you can get the money you deserve! Call one of the Waterbury social security attorneys advertised on this site today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.