Rules If Somebody Else Helps Pay For Your Food And Shelter
If you are single and pay for your own food and shelter, you get up to $841 per month in SSI benefits. Shelter expenses can include rent, mortgage payments, property taxes, heating fuel, gas, electricity, water, sewer service, and garbage collection. To qualify for this benefits amount if you live alone, you cannot get help paying for these expenses. If you live with other people, you must pay your fair share without getting help.
If someone else pays for some or all of your food and shelter, Social Security may reduce the maximum SSI benefits amount you can get. This is called in-kind support and maintenance and how Social Security counts it depends on your situation.
Preparing For A Hearing
After going through the first stage of appeal, it can take up to one year for your hearing to be scheduled. You definitely want to be prepared for it when that date comes.
The most important thing you can do to prepare for your hearing is to collect additional medical records. The SSA will likely not gather these additional records, but they are crucial to your case and could give you a much better chance of a successful outcome at your hearing. The ALJ will want to see medical records that are up to date, and will not accept your old medical records to determine if you are disabled.
The SSA is required to provide you with at least 75 days notice before your hearing to tell you of the date of your hearing. This should be plenty of time to contact your doctor and request current medical records. If necessary, you should also have new testing done that can back up your claims.
While requesting your updated records, also ask for a statement from your doctor. This is known as a medical source statement, and should include work activities that you can no longer perform, such as sitting for more than 20 minutes or being unable to regularly lift a certain weight. In addition to your doctors statement, you can also ask your friends, family members, and caregivers for statements outlining your limitations.
Eligible Ssi Claimants Have Very Low Income And Few Resources
The SSI program looks for two things during the financial eligibility screening. First, you cant earn more than $1,350 each month while working. But even if youre not working, any money you get from other sources will also count against you. Child support, alimony, earned interest, SNAP, TANF, etc. all count as monthly income for SSI. Next, the SSI program looks at your bank balance. The programs asset limit rules say you cant have more than $2,000 in the bank. However, other things you own and can easily sell for cash also count towards that asset limit. Some things that wont count towards your $2,000 asset limit include:
- Your house and the land it sits on, as long as you own it
- One vehicle used for daily transportation
- Your wedding ring, furniture, clothing & other daily living items
Couples filing SSI claims for Kentucky disability have combined income and asset limits. You need less than $3,000 in assets and $1,350 in combined monthly income to meet the SSI programs financial requirements.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Your First Ssdi Payment
Six months after your SSDI application date is the soonest youll get your first Kentucky disability check. The SSDI program takes about 3-5 months to process each Kentucky disability claim. Federal law requires a five-month waiting period before anyone can get SSDI payments after their claims approved. If you wait that long before you apply, you can skip this mandatory wait period. To double your chances for getting Kentucky disability the first time you apply, have a lawyer file your SSDI claim. All Kentucky disability lawyers work on contingency. That means you wont pay any legal fees unless the SSA approves you for benefits. SSDI claims for Kentucky disability benefits currently take 366 days to process, on average.
Want to see if you can get approved without legal assistance? Then youll wait a lot longer for your first payment. Two out of every five people who apply get turned down automatically for basic paperwork mistakes. If that happens, you have 60 days to appeal in writing.
What Does It Cost To Use An Accredited Representative Or A Vso
In general, no individual or organization may charge you a fee to help you file your initial application for benefits. But they may charge you for unusual expenses. Its only after weve made a decision about your original claim that VA-accredited claims agents and attorneys may charge for their services. Make sure you ask up front what, if any, fees youll be charged. If you believe a claims agent or attorney charged a fee thats too high, you can challenge it.
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How Do I Get Individual Disability Insurance
If youre self-employed, your employer doesnt offer disability insurance, or you want to supplement the policy your employers does offer, you can apply for an individual disability policy. Individual disability insurance elimination and benefit periods may differ from group disability insurance, but a financial representative can help you choose the right coverage for your situation. If youd like some help understanding what type of coverage makes sense for you and applying for a policy, get in touch with a financial representative who can help you make a decision.
Rules If You Live In A Medical Facility
If you live in a medical facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, you probably cant get full SSI benefits:
- If Medicaid pays for more than half the cost of your care in the facility, the most you can get in SSI benefits is $30 per month.
- If Medicaid does not pay for more than half of your care in the facility, you cannot get any SSI benefits.
- If your doctor says you will be in the facility for less than 90 days and you can show that you need your SSI benefits to keep your home or living arrangement, you may keep getting your full SSI benefits.
- Note: If youre expecting to stay for less than 90 days, you need to get the doctors note and documentation about your need to Social Security right away. The facilitys admissions office can help you.
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Renew Ky Handicap Placards & Plates
Disability placards and license plates in Kentucky expire and must be renewed for continued use:
- Temporary parking placards: Valid for up to 3 months based on your doctor’s assessment.
- Permanent parking placards: Valid for 6 years.
- License plates: Valid for up to 1 year and expire on July 31st.
To renew a temporary or permanent disabled parking placard, you must:
I Am Disabled And Get Disability Benefits Do I Still Have To Pay Child Support
You should not have to pay child support if you receive Supplemental Security Income .
- However, if you were ordered to pay support and later start receiving SSI, you will have to file a Petition to ask for the court to stop the support. To find out which Petition you should use, see I cant afford my child support payment. Can I lower the amount?.
You may have to pay child support out of your check if you receive Social Security Disability Insurance .
- If you do not pay, Social Security can garnish part of your benefit. The largest amount they can garnish is 65%.
- NOTE: If your child receives benefits on your record, then the court can consider that in deciding whether to lower your support amount. You will have to file a Petition to ask the court to change the amount of support you are ordered to pay. To find out which Petition you should use, see I cant afford my child support payment. Can I lower the amount?.
Generally, your VA disability compensation benefit cannot be garnished to pay for child support. Exception: Your benefit can be garnished if you waived part of your military retired pay to receive VA disability benefits.
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Division Of Disability Determination Services
Need long-term disability benefits? We may be able to help.
If you are disabled and cant work, you can apply for cash benefits through the federal Social Security Disability Program. We handle New Jersey residents’ claims for these Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits. Your disability must be permanent to qualify for the program.
If your disability is short-term, you should apply for Temporary Disability Insurance benefits. This state program pays cash benefits when you can’t work for a week or more for instance, when you have surgery, get injured, are sick, or give birth.
Apply for Social Security Disability benefits
Find out if you qualify and how to start an application.
Do I Need Both Short Term And Long Term Disability Insurance
As you can probably tell, short term and long term disability insurance policies are designed to work together. Short term disability is intended to cover you immediately following a serious illness or injury, and long term disability insurance is intended to maintain income replacement if your condition keeps you out of work past the end of your short term disability benefit period, even to retirement, depending on your plan. If you have both short term and long term disability policies in place, short term disability will pay you benefits during the waiting period before your long term disability coverage begins, at which point youll transition from one policy to the next to receive benefits. For that reason, it makes sense to have both policies to help ensure an unexpected health problem wont derail your financial confidence for a few months or for several years.
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Schizophrenic And Other Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic disorders make up 4.8% of those on Social Security Disability benefits can include symptoms like:
- Catatonic behavior
- Disorganized speech
Symptoms can make it difficult to be social, complete activities, and engage in regular work. Delusional disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder are typical examples of psychotic disorders.
Social Security Disability Insurance For People With Cancer
Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal disability insurance benefit earned by people who have worked and paid into Social Security. Its only available to people who have disabilities that keep them from working. If you have cancer, you may be able to have your SSDI application processed more quickly
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Whats The Difference Between Long Term And Short Term Disability Insurance
Most people think disability is something that happens to other people, but its more common than you may think. More than a quarter of todays 20-year-olds can expect to be out of work for at least a year before they reach retirement age due to a disabling condition.1 And some of the most common reasons for disability claims include pregnancy, mental health issues and cancer2 conditions that might not be top-of-mind when you think about disability. Thats why its so important to protect yourself in case an unexpected illness or injury keeps you out of work for an extended period of time. But before you can choose the right protection for a potential disability, you first need to understand the difference between the two primary types of disability insurance: short term and long term.
Whats The Elimination Period
While short term disability insurance begins paying benefits within a couple weeks following a qualifying illness or injury, long term disability insurance requires a longer waiting period, called an elimination period, before a policyholder begins receiving benefits. The length of the elimination period varies by policy but is often around 90 days. When considering a disability policy, take into account how you will cover your expenses during the elimination period. Do you have an emergency fund to cover your lost income and any medical bills you accrue during this time? If not, you may consider purchasing additional coverage to protect you immediately following a disabling illness or injury.
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Can You Get Ssdi Benefits For Life
An approved SSDI claim doesnt guarantee you Kentucky disability payments for life. Once your checks start, the SSA requires you to pass another disability update every 3-7 years. If you cant do that, theyll suspend your Kentucky disability payments. You only need to pass these SSDI disability updates regularly until you reach your FRA. After that, Kentucky disability automatically converts into regular Social Security retirement benefits. Your monthly amount stays the same, and you dont have to fill out any more paperwork.
Get Help Filing Your Claim Or Appeal
If you need help filing a claim or appeal, you may want to work with an accredited attorney, a claims agent, or a Veterans Service Officer . We trust these professionals because theyre trained and certified in the VA claims and appeals processes and can help you with VA-related needs.
VSOs work on behalf of Veterans and service membersas well as their dependents and survivors. Find out more about accredited representatives and how they can help you.
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What Does It Take To Be An Accredited Representative Or A Vso
Accredited representatives and VSOs need to:
- Pass a background check
- Take continuing-education courses to make sure theyre providing the most up-to-date information
Recognized organizations and individuals can legally represent a Veteran, service member, dependent, or survivor before VA. Non-recognized organizations and individuals can provide information, but cant be representatives.
Note: Veterans Service Officers work for Veterans Service Organizations , as well as for local government offices.
Whats The Difference Between Short Term Vs Long Term Benefit Periods
The biggest difference between short term and long term disability insurance is the period of time youll receive benefits if youre unable to work. This period is called the benefit period. As the name indicates, short term disability insurance is intended to cover you for a short period of time following an illness or injury that keeps you out of work. While policies vary, short term disability insurance typically covers you for a term between 3-6 months. On the other hand, long term disability is intended to provide benefits for a longer period, and benefit periods for long term disability insurance are usually stated in years: 5, 10, 20 or even until you reach retirement age, depending on your plan.
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What Conditions Automatically Qualify You For Disability
Some health conditions listed above may automatically qualify you for disability benefits. If your disability is severe, you may qualify for a compassionate allowance. This will allow you to start receiving disability payments right away, rather than waiting for the usual approval process.
You may also automatically qualify for SSDI if you have:
- Endocrine disorders
- Muscular dystrophy
A social security disability attorney can review your case and determine whether your condition should automatically qualify you for disability. Your lawyer can explain how to apply for disability and advise you on what documentation you may need to prove the severity of your condition.
Expect Possibly Longer Wait Times
In March 2020, the Social Security Administration mostly shuttered its in-person services.
Today, it is still largely processing correspondence online and via postal mail.
A recent investigation by the Social Security Office of the Inspector General found there have been some big delays for people waiting on application decisions.
Currently, it’s taking about 125 days for the agency to process an initial claim, Geist said. For applications that are reconsidered, there’s an additional four months to six months, he said.
So if you’re planning to file an application for benefits for any disabling condition, including Covid-19 and associated long haul issues, “the earlier, the better,” Geist said.
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Which Do I Need: Need Short Term Disability Insurance Or Long Term Disability Insurance
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing disability insurance. First of all, do you have an emergency savings fund that could cover your expenses for a few months if you lost your job or were unable to work? If not, short term disability insurance is an essential financial protection, even if you are disabled for only a short period of time. If you have significant emergency savings on hand, though, you may focus on how a long term disability could impact your financial wellbeing and your retirement plans. If you were permanently disabled, could you cover your expenses until retirement? If not, look into long term disability protection.
You May Qualify For Legal Assistance
A Kentucky disability lawyer makes you almost 3x more likely to get paid benefits. All Kentucky disability lawyers work on contingency, so youll pay nothing for legal assistance up front. A qualified Social Security attorney charges $0 if you dont win benefits. And if you win, youll only pay a small, one-time fee.
Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free online benefits evaluation now!
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Other Ways You Can Apply
Apply With Your Local Office
You can do most of your business with Social Security online. If you cannot use these online services, your local Social Security office can help you apply. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Office Locator and looking under Social Security Office Information. The toll-free Office number is your local office.
Apply By Phone
If You Do Not Live in the U.S. Or One of Its Territories
Contact the if you live outside the U.S. or a U.S. territory and wish to apply for retirement benefits.
Mailing Your Documents
If you mail any documents to us, you must include the Social Security number so that we can match them with the correct application. Do not write anything on the original documents. Please write the Social Security number on a separate sheet of paper and include it in the mailing envelope along with the documents.