SSDI Benefits: What Else Can You Receive?

When a medical condition affects their ability to work, over 7.1 million workers turn to the Social Security Disability Insurance program for monthly disability benefit payments. Many of them may not be aware of other benefits available to them.

Disabled workers may be entitled to Medicare, Medicaid, and benefits through other programs. Family members may be entitled to claim auxiliary benefits based on a worker’s earnings record.

Assistance from a disability attorney at Sackett and Associates can be the key to ensuring that you get the benefits you are entitled to receive. Here are some of the other benefits you may be entitled to receive when collecting SSDI disability benefits.

Coverage For Medical Expenses Through Medicare And Medicaid

When you receive SSDI benefits for 24 months, you become enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B coverage. Part A covers you for care in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care.

Medicare Part B provides coverage for the following services:

1. Services provided by physicians and other healthcare providers.
2. Outpatient services.
3. Home health care
4. Durable equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other medical equipment.
5. Preventive services, such as vaccinations, screenings, and wellness visits.

The 24-month waiting period does not apply to individuals diagnosed as having end-stage renal disease or those with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Depending on your income, you could apply for Medicaid coverage. You must meet the requirements for your state’s Medicaid program.

If approved for Medicaid, it could be your primary medical coverage during the 24-month waiting period before you enroll in Medicare. After the waiting period, Medicare becomes your primary medical insurance with Medicaid as the secondary coverage.

Concurrent Benefits Through SSDI And SSI

You could have a work record long enough to meet the criteria for SSDI approval, but your earnings record may result in a low monthly benefit payment. If you meet its income and resource limitations, you could meet the requirements for the SSI program.

Concurrent benefits occur when a person receives payments from both Social Security programs, SSDI and SSI, simultaneously. Because SSDI benefits are treated as income, they may reduce the amount you get each month through SSI.

Retroactive Disability Benefits

You may be entitled to receive up to 12 months of disability back pay when approved for benefits through the SSDI program. Back pay covers the period from the established onset date of your disability, as determined by the SSA, to approval of your claim for disability benefits.

Here is how disability back pay works with SSDI benefits:

1. During the initial application review process, the SSA establishes the onset date of your disability based on the medical documentation supporting your claim.
2. You can receive retroactive benefits for up to 12 months before the date you applied for disability benefits.
3. The amount you actually receive in back pay takes into account a five-month mandatory waiting period before benefit payments start. The waiting period is counted from the established onset date of your disability.

You can maximize the amount you receive by applying for SSDI benefits as soon as your disabling medical condition affects your ability to work.

The assistance of a disability lawyer can be essential to avoid losing back pay. For instance, automatically reapplying for benefits rather than filing an appeal of a denial of a claim may establish a new onset date that reduces the back pay you receive. An attorney can help you decide on the best course of action.

SNAP And Other Government Benefits

Depending on the amount of your disability benefits and other income, you may be entitled to benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP benefits help low-income families pay for food.

Other government benefits you may be entitled to while receiving SSDI disability payments include workers’ compensation, VA disability benefits, and disability benefits through state-funded programs. Consult a Sackett Law disability attorney because workers’ compensation and other types of public benefit programs may affect the amount you receive monthly from SSDI.

Family Benefits

If you receive SSDI benefits, certain members of your family may be entitled to family benefits based on your work history. Family members who may be entitled to benefits include:

1. A spouse
2. Ex-spouses
3. Children
4. Grandchildren

Family members may receive up to half of your monthly benefit amount without affecting your SSDI benefits.

Conditions may apply in determining whether a family member receives benefits. For example, you must be married for at least one year for your spouse to receive spousal benefits. Consult a disability attorney for more information about auxiliary benefits for members of your family.

Speak To An Experienced Disability Benefits Lawyer At Sackett Law

The disability attorneys at Sackett and Associates have been assisting people with disabilities in Northern California and throughout the nation for more than four decades. Find out about the benefits you may be entitled to receive by contacting Sackett Law for a free consultation.

Source:

1. Benefits
2. Medicare coverages
3. Family benefits