Some Publications That Will Give You More Information On Disability Benefits
The Disability Starter Kit will help you get ready for your disability interview or online application. Kits are available for adults and for children under age 18.
The starter kits provide information about the specific documents and the information that we will request from you.
The kits also provide general information about the disability programs and our decision-making process.
Here are some additional resources with information on disability benefits:
- Disability Evaluation Under Social Security – Medical criteria for evaluating Social Security disability claims
Both Ssi And Ssdi Programs Define Disability The Same Way
Unless you wait until your 65th birthday to apply, you must be blind or disabled to qualify for SSI. Youll need convincing medical evidence to prove your SSI claim qualifies for Illinois disability benefits. In most cases, a DDS doctor must examine you to confirm you meet the SSAs definition of disabled. But if youre already 65 or older, your age alone means youll pass this screening question. If that applies to you, you dont need to gather any medical records first. Your SSI application for Illinois disability benefits should be enough.
How To Apply For Social Security Disability In Illinois
The Social Security Administration provides a few different ways to file for Social Security disability benefits in Illinois. You can do any of the following:
- Visit your local Social Security Administration office. The SSA’s field office locator can help you find the location nearest to you.
- Telephone the SSA at 772-1213. A customer service representative can make an appointment for you to apply in person or by telephone. If you file in person, you’ll fill out a paper version of the application for Social Security disability.
- Visit www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability and apply for disability benefits online.
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You Need Very Low Income And Almost No Assets In Order To Qualify For Ssi
The SSI program screens every Illinois disability applicant for financial purposes. First, you cannot receive more than $1,350/month to qualify for SSI. This includes any money you get on a monthly basis, not just your work earnings. The SSA looks for things like alimony, child support payments, savings account interest, etc. Next, theyll look at how much you currently have in your bank account. If your balance is more than $2,000, the SSI program wont approve you for Illinois disability benefits. Then, the SSA looks for other countable assets that may push you over that $2,000 limit. Anything you can sell easily for cash goes into that category, such as jewelry, stocks, bonds, etc. Things the SSA wont count towards your total asset limit include:
- Your house and the land its on, if you own it
- One vehicle for household transportation
- Your wedding ring, furniture, clothing or daily living items
The SSI program has different income and asset limits for married couples who apply for Illinois disability. Eligible couples need less than $3,000 in assets and $1,350 in monthly income to qualify for SSI-based Illinois disability benefits.
Meeting The Medical Criteria For Social Security Disability With Heart Failure
When applying for Social Security Disability benefits, the SSA will compare your condition to a listing of conditions known as the Blue Book. Each condition that could potentially qualify an individual for disability benefits is listed in this Blue Book, along with the criteria that must be met to qualify with each specific condition.
Chronic heart failure is addressed in Section 4.02 of the Blue Book. According to the Blue Book, in order to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits due to heart failure, you must be able to prove that:
- You have been diagnosed with chronic heart failure while undergoing prescribed treatment and
- There is medically documented evidence of systolic failure with left ventricular end diastolic dimensions greater than 6.0 cm or ejection fraction of 30 percent or less during a period of stability or diastolic failure with left ventricular posterior wall plus septal thickness totaling 2.5 cm or greater on imaging with an enlarged left atrium greater than or equal to 4.5 cm with normal or elevated ejection fraction during a period of stability and
- Persistent symptoms of heart failure are present that seriously limit the ability to independently initiate, sustain, or complete activities of daily living or there are three or more separate documented episodes of acute congestive heart failure within a 12-month period or you suffer an inability to perform on an exercise tolerance test at a workload equivalent to 5METs or less.
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Missing Property Tax Exemptions Homeowners Can Apply For Certificates Of Error
If your home was eligible for the Persons with Disabilities Exemption in tax years 2021, 2020, 2019, or 2018 and the exemption was not applied to your property tax bill, the Assessors Office can help you obtain a refund through what is called a Certificate of Error.
Certificate of Error applications for tax years 2021, 2020, 2019, or 2018 can be filed now by clicking the links below. As a reminder, it is recommended to apply online so that the application can be easily tracked and our representatives can provide status updates.
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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What Additional Benefits Does The State Of Illinois Offer
In addition to disability, you can take advantage of a number of benefits in IL. Social Security and Medicare cover the main programs, but there is a wide range of other programs offered by the state for which you may be eligible. These programs can provide you with extra cash assistance, help with medical bills, and more.
You can learn more about the additional resources available in Illinois check out this list.
Types Of Social Security Benefits
Supplemental Security Income
SSIis for low-income people who are disabled, blind, or 65 years of age or older, with little or no income. This would also apply to people that have no job history or not enough work credits.
SSI is known as a means-tested program for those who qualify. A means test is an examination of your finances to see if you are eligible for government assistance. The test shows whether you or your family need the help. Learn more about how to qualify.
Social Security Disability
SSDI/SSI is based on your work history and work credit earned. Work credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income. You can earn up to four credits each year. The amount needed for a credit changes from year to year.
This program pays monthly benefits to you if you become disabled before you reach retirement age and are not able to work. The amount you receive each month will be based on your average lifetime earnings before your disability began. It is not based on how severe your disability is or how much income you have. Learn about how to apply online.
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How Do I Appeal A Disability Decision In Illinois
To start to appeal a Social Security disability denial in Illinois, you need to complete a “Request for Reconsideration” form and submit this to the SSA within 60 days of the date on your denial letter. A reconsideration is just a paper review of your file by a different disability claims examiner at Illinois’ Bureau of Disability Determination Services.
If the examiner denies you again, the next step in the Social Security appeals process is to appear for a disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge .
More than half of Illinois disability hearings result in the applicant being awarded benefits, but the wait for an ALJ hearing can be long. The average wait for a disability ALJ hearing in Illinois is 14 months, slightly longer than the national average.
While an ALJ may occasionally announce their opinion at a disability hearing, in the majority of cases, you’ll receive a written decision in the mail approximately 30 days after your hearing.
You May Qualify For Legal Assistance
Want to nearly triple your chances for getting Illinois disability the first time you apply? Have a lawyer file your claim! A Social Security attorney charges nothing up front for professional legal assistance. Federal law says the SSA must approve any legal fees your attorney wants to charge before you pay. Thats because all Illinois disability lawyers work on contingency. For this reason, you cannot owe any fees until after your claims approved for Illinois disability benefits. So, you wont pay a dime unless your case wins. And if you do 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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How Much Do You Get For Disability In Illinois
SSI is a federal program, so most of the monthly disability benefit is from the federal government. As of 2022, the maximum federal monthly payment for individuals who have no other income is $841 the payment for couples is $1,261 per month.
The State of Illinois chooses to pay an additional monthly payment to supplement the monthly federal payment.Social Security calls these additional payments “state supplemental payments” , but Illinois calls them “AABD Cash Assistance.” AABD stands for “Aid to the Aged, Blind or Disabled.”
The Illinois Department of Human Services determines the amount of your AABD cash supplement by looking at your expenses and income. DHS will subtract your “monthly maintenance costs” from the amount of your SSI payment . If your maintenance costs are higher than this combined amount, Illinois will pay you additional amounts for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, and more.
You can apply for AABD Cash online at www.dhs.state.il.us or at your local Illinois Department of Human Services office.
The SSP is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services . For more information, see AABD Cash Assistance allowances on the DHS website.
Illinois Disability Benefits: You Have Two Options
Both programs I mentioned above pay monthly Illinois disability benefits to qualified applicants. They use same the medical screening questions to determine whos too disabled to work for at least one year. In addition, the Social Security Administration manages both disability assistance programs. However, thats where the similarities between SSDI and SSI end. You can apply for Illinois disability benefits paid through these two programs:
Luckily, you only have to fill out the claim paperwork once to apply for benefits from both programs. Just check the box asking the SSA to screen you for both SSI and SSDI benefits!
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How Long Can I Expect To Wait To Be Approved
You can expect to wait anywhere between 3 to 5 months to find out if you are approved for disability in Illinois. Additionally, if you are approved, you will need to wait an additional month before you can expect your first disability payments to come through. This is why we recommend you begin the application process as soon as you become aware of your disability, as you may experience financial hardship during the waiting period.
What About Temporary Or Short
Unfortunately, no government program pays short-term or temporary disability benefits in Illinois. But thats okay! Government programs arent the only way injured or sick people can get enough money to live on. See if anything below may apply to you:
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Applying For Disability In Illinois
How to apply and qualify for SSD, SSI in Illinois Disability Applicationfiling an application for disabilitySSI awardQualifying for disabilitybut still workingThe disability decision processqualifies for disability benefitsThere are two ways to approve a disability claimSSA list of disabling impairmentsfunctional limitationsmental functional limitationsRFC, or residual functional capacitydespite their medical impairmentApplying for disability for a child
What Qualifies For Disability In Illinois
To qualify for disability in Illinois, you need to be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity due to being disabled. Disabled in this situation means you have been medically declared to have a mental or physical impairment that is expected to last at least 12 months or potentially result in death. Eligibility will be determined by an examiner who will assess both your medical condition and your income to determine whether you qualify for social security disability benefits.
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How Can I Find Out More About Ssdi
- Visit www.ssa.gov online choose disability
- Visit ssabest.benefits.gov to learn about Social Security benefits you might be eligible for including SSDI
- Go to your nearest Social Security office
You can find out how much you would get from SSDI by looking at your Social Security statement. The statement shows your work history and an estimate of what your benefits would be at this time. To get a Social Security statement:
- Request a statement online through Social Securitys website at www.ssa.gov. Click on My Social Security on the left side of the page.
Note that SSDI is different from SSI .
SSI is for people who didnt pay enough into Social Security during their working years, or who havent worked recently enough to qualify for SSDI. However, some people who were employed for short times or whose income was very low may qualify for both SSDI and SSI because their SSDI payment is so low. In that case, the SSI payment is reduced by the amount of SSDI the person gets. See more information on Supplemental Security Income .
What Vocational Rehabilitation Services Are Available In Illinois
If you’re interested in obtaining vocational rehab services, the Illinois Department of Human Services Rehabilitation Services Department may be able to help. Through their Supported Employment Program , people with significant disabilities may be able to obtain ongoing support services that allow them to find jobs. Their Home Services Program can help people live at home independently.
You can apply for rehabilitation services online at or call the DHS Helpline at 800-843-6154 for more information.
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What Is The Standard For Disability
Who is considered “disabled” for SSI or SSDI benefits?
To receive benefits under either program, you must meet the SSA’s definition of disability. The term disability means that you are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity because of:
- A medically determinable physical or a mental impairment
- Which has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months or is expected to result in death.
This standard for disability is described in the below paragraphs.
Disability for adults
In deciding whether you meet the disability requirement, SSA uses a five-step analysis:
Step one: are you working?
If you are working and performing a substantial gainful activity, then you are considered able to work. You are therefore not disabled. The SGA limit is $1,310 per month. If you earn more than $1,310 per month, you are probably not eligible, unless there are special cases. For example, you have intensive job coaching to help you work or you work at a sheltered workshop. If you are not earning significant income, proceed to step two.
Step two: do you have a severe impairment?
You must have a problem which significantly limits your ability to perform basic work activities. The impairment must be expected to last for 12 months or end in death. If you have a severe impairment, proceed to step three.
Step three: does your medical condition match one of SSAs listed impairments?
- Medical findings,
- Symptoms that must be found for your condition to meet the listing.
Can You Work While On Disability In Illinois
Traditionally, you wouldnt have been eligible to work and earn an income within Illinois as well as receive disability payments (though you could earn an income up to $3660.00 working outside of Illinois.
However, if you are interested in trying to rejoin the workforce, Social Securitys work incentives and Ticket to Work program may be perfect for you.
These programs set out special rules to encourage those currently on disability in Illinois to try and reenter the workforce without sacrificing their monthly payments. You can learn more about these programs here.
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