What Other Benefits Can I Collect While On SSDI?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a monthly Social Security benefit paid to persons who become disabled and are unable to work prior to reaching retirement age. For many recipients, SSDI benefits are not enough to live on. A lot of SSDI recipients are not aware that they may qualify for other government benefits that could supplement their SSDI income. A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you obtain information on how to qualify for such benefits, which include the programs noted below.

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME

SSI is a disability benefit administered by Social Security for persons who:

• Are over 65
• Are blind or disabled
• Have never worked or have not earned enough work credits to qualify for SSDI
• Have not worked in a long time and no longer qualify for SSDI
• Have low income and assets and have dependents who are disabled

Eligibility is based on income and asset guidelines. A person receiving SSDI benefits may qualify for, and simultaneously receive, SSI, if his monthly SSDI income is below $783 ($1175 per month for couples). This is known as receiving “concurrent benefits.”

Income limits may be different if a person is working and earning some income. These guidelines are available on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) website. If you collect SSDI and SSI, you may also be able to receive Medicare as an SSDI recipient.

MEDICARE

Medicare is a health insurance program for persons over 65. A person who has received SSDI benefits for at least two years is eligible to apply for Medicare, even if he receives SSI, and even if he is not old enough for Medicare coverage under the program’s rules. There are certain circumstances under which a person under 65 may qualify for Medicare, such as having end-stage renal disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

An experienced Social Security disability lawyer can help an SSDI recipient apply for Medicare or answer any questions he may have about the program. He can also find out more about the program on the SSA’s website.

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)

Putting food on the table is a challenge faced by many low-income households, many of which include SSDI benefit recipients.  Such individuals may qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly and commonly known as the food stamp program).  SNAP is a federally-funded program overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by state Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) agencies. The program was designed to help low-income families buy healthy food and stretch their food budget. Qualified recipients can use SNAP benefits at convenience stores, grocery stores, co-op food programs and some farmers’ markets.

OTHER BENEFITS

Qualifying individuals may also qualify for the following:

• Disability payments from an employer or insurance company
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) – a federal program that helps qualified households pay their home heating costs, provides financial assistance for furnace repair or replacement, weatherization, or cooling assistance in the summer months.
• Workers’ Compensation benefits
• Veteran Affairs disability benefits
• Temporary state disability insurance benefit

NEED HELP OBTAINING ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR SSDI?

Larry Disparti and the disability lawyers at Disparti Law Group can help you obtain information on how to qualify for other benefits to supplement your SSDI.  Call us today in Chicago (312) 600-6000 or Tampa (727) 600-6000 and join the thousands of people who contacted the Disparti Law Group and learned that Larry Wins!