Having an accident which impacts on your life is stressful. When you are trying to cover medical costs and need to take time off work to recover, it is important that you know what your financial options are. Personal injury attorneys help people who have been through an accident and now seek recourse from the other person who caused it. Before you meet with a personal injury attorney, there are details you need to gather so the attorney can help you with your case. These posts are all about what accident and personal injury attorneys do, what they need from you, and the different situations where using one is beneficial to your lifestyle.
Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is a program run by the federal government to provide supplemental income to disabled individuals and the families they support. Rather than being based on the severity of your disability or your household income, the number of benefits you're eligible for largely depends on your work history. A Social Security disability lawyer can explain how much you might receive each month.
How Are Benefits Calculated?
If you successfully apply for SSDI payments, you can expect to receive about 150%–180% of your eligible benefit for you and your family. SSDI is calculated based on your lifetime earnings. When you have money withheld from your paycheck each month throughout your life, some of those funds go toward the SSDI program. Your payroll deductions give you work credits; to qualify for SSDI payments, you must have earned at least 40 credits during your lifetime. An attorney can look at your work history to help you determine if you qualify.
The average monthly payment for an individual is $1,259 while the average monthly payment for a family is $2,224. If you have a qualifying disability and your income is below a certain threshold, you may earn benefits for yourself, your spouse, and your children. In addition, any adult children you have who were disabled before age 22 can qualify for benefits.
What Is the Application Process Like?
The criteria for eligibility can be strict, and the waiting process can be lengthy, so it's important to have a disability lawyer's help to streamline the application process and ensure that all paperwork is submitted correctly the first time. On average, the application process itself takes three to five months, and there's a mandatory five-month waiting period before you can start receiving payments.
To qualify, you must prove the following items by providing documentation:
If your disability is not so severe that it prevents you from finding employment, your application will likely be denied. This is why it's important to work with a disability lawyer throughout the application process. It's possible that a simple mistake could get your application denied, so your attorney may help you with the appeal process as well.
Share30 April 2021
