Citizens of the United States have many options for obtaining Social Security benefits. Since there are several different types of payments, it is possible that sooner or later all Americans will be able to apply for one of them. And in this case we are talking about the disability benefit or SSDI. This benefit has very specific requirements and not all Americans have access to it.
In order to apply for one of these checks, certain medical and work requirements must be met. SSDI is a type of check that the Social Security Administration grants to citizens with a disability or blindness. Therefore, if we do not have one of these conditions, we will not be able to collect the corresponding pension every month.
But something important to keep in mind is that not all Americans with a disability can get SSDI. It is necessary to meet another requirement about the labor market. And not only that, but you have to have exact conditions regarding the disability. And after you get the check there are more requirements to meet.
This means that if we have the check and we stop fulfilling one of the requirements we will stop collecting the benefit. So we have to maintain a certain financial level and all the other requirements to continue to get monthly SSDI.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SSDI
Americans who want to get an SSDI benefit must meet two main requirements. These two requirements are not optional at any time, so if we do not meet them we will not be able to apply for the disability benefit.
These requirements are:
- Have earned a sufficient number of work credits through Social Security-covered employment.
- Be in a medical condition that falls within the SSA’s definition of disability.
For the first, the minimum time worked is usually one year. In the case of meeting it we already have 50% of the Social Security options covered. However, the problem can sometimes come in the second of these requirements.
The SSA definition of disability and medical condition is not entirely clear, although some information can be found on the SSDI website. Because each disability case is so individual, the Social Security Administration sometimes has trouble determining whether or not a citizen can get SSDI.
And after we start collecting SSDI, we should keep in mind that we can lose it. Unlike the age retirement benefit, SSDI can be temporary, so if we do something wrong we will end up losing our monthly check.
INCOME LIMITS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY
If we don’t want to lose our SSDI check, we need to pay attention to our monthly income. The Social Security Disability benefit is compatible with work. Since it is possible to work while collecting this benefit, you should watch out for salary limits.
Thus, a disability retiree can collect a maximum of $1,470 per month in the case of non-blind beneficiaries. In the case of a blind citizen, the monthly income limit for combining with SSDI becomes $2,460 per month.
The moment our income is higher than those numbers we will lose the SSDI benefit. Also, another way to lose the monthly check is by regaining our health, i.e., by no longer having a disability for which Social Security gave us the check.
Taking into account all these details we will be able to enjoy a monthly SSDI payment without losing it. Also, the maximum check in this year 2023 is $3,627 per month, but starting January 2024 the check will increase through the COLA. Next year’s COLA is 3.2%, which will bring the maximum payment to $3,743 per month.