 | Glossary: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) | |
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The person who is receiving a benefit.
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A trained expert who can help you understand or apply for benefit programs. Their goal is to help you avoid financial complications while developing a sustainable plan for the future. To find a benefits planner in California, use the DB101 Benefits Planner Directory. |
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A BPQY is a report that summarizes your current Social Security disability benefits. To order one, visit your local Social Security office or call 800-772-1213 (voice); 800-325-0778 (TTY). Be sure to review your BPQY carefully. If you have questions about it, contact a benefits planner or Social Security. |
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The Social Security publication that provides detailed information about disability programs to physicians and other health care professionals. The Blue Book includes the complete Listing of Impairments, which lists and defines those conditions considered severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful activity. The Blue Book can now be accessed online. |
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Benefits for disabled adult children of recipients of Social Security disability or retirement benefits. Formerly known as Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits.
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The federal government pays benefits planners in communities around the country to help people think ahead about work incentives and benefits issues. CWIC'S are benefits planners who are trained by the Social Security Administration to assist beneficiaries with programs including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in addition to other related programs.
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A periodic review to determine if there has been any medical improvement in your condition and/or to determine whether you continue to be eligible for Social Security benefits for other reasons. The two types of reviews are called a medical CDR and a work CDR.
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The inability to engage in any Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or last for a continuous period of at least 12 months. A person must not only be unable to do his/her previous work but cannot, considering age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of SGA which exists in the national economy. It doesn't mattter whether such work exists in the immediate area, or whether a specific job vacancy exists, or whether the worker would be hired if he/she applied for work. The worker’s impairment(s) must be the primary reason for his/her inability to engage in SGA.
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Salaries, wages, tips, professional fees and other amounts received as pay for physical or mental work actually performed. Funds received from any other source are not included. (Contrast unearned income.) |
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Immediate reinstatement of benefits for individuals whose Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) ended due to employment. This provision is available for up to 5 years after Social Security work incentives have been exhausted.
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The 36 consecutive months that start at the end of the Trial Work Period. During the Extended Period of Eligibility, any month in which gross earnings are $1,000 or more (for 2010), an individual’s wages are considered Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). When an individual’s earning first reach SGA, a three month grace period begins, allowing a beneficiary to continue receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments regardless of wages. After the three month grace period, an individual will not receive SSDI income benefits for months when wages are at or above SGA. If wages fall below SGA, SSDI payments will resume. Beneficiaries who continue to earn SGA income after the EPE will no longer be eligible for SSDI payments. The SGA earnings for blind beneficiaries are different. In 2010, SGA for the blind is $1,640.
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The sixty consecutive months during which an individual works nine Trial Work Months. The Window begins on the onset date of disability, but rolls forward until an individual has worked nine Trial Work Months that all occur within a 60 consecutive month period of time.
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Income before taxes and other deductions are made.
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A form for individuals with HIV/AIDS who are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. The form requires physicians to identify whether an individual has one of the 41 opportunistic infections listed on the form, and to specify any "repeated manifestations" of other symptoms that restrict certain aspects of the individual's life.
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Documented expenses for services or items that are related to one's impairment and needed in order to work. Wheelchairs, physician visits, co-pays for prescriptions, and other medical expenses are some examples of IRWEs. The expenses must be verified by original receipts and canceled checks.
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Payment received for the prior month.
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The adjustment of payments when an individual is eligible for more than one benefit program.
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Accessible cash resources that include: individual/joint checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, mining rights and cash value in a life insurance policy.
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The date, after reviewing an individual's medical records, that Social Security determines that a disability began. The date Social Security receives an application does not necessarily establish the onset date.
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Payment that exceeds the approved benefit amount.
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A regularly scheduled payment to an insurer or health care plan.
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Social Security program that provides monthly income to people with disabilities, survivors or dependents of people with disabilities, and retired people. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is one part of RSDI. |
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Payments made for the period between disability onset and application approval.
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) oversees the SSI and SSDI programs. You contact SSA by calling 1-800-772-1213 (ph) or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY), or you can use the Social Security office locator to find the office nearest you. |
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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is wage replacement income for individuals who have worked and paid FICA taxes and who now have a disability meeting Social Security disability rules. SSDI provides a variety of benefits to family members when a primary wage earner in the family becomes disabled or dies. SSDI is financed with Social Security taxes paid by workers, employers, and self-employed persons. SSDI benefits are payable to disabled workers, widows, widowers, and children or adults disabled since childhood who are otherwise eligible.
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For the purposes of calculating Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), subsidy and special conditions are support you receive on the job that may result in your receiving more pay than the actual value of the services you perform. Subsidy refers to support you receive from your employer; special conditions are generally provided by someone other than your employer, for example a vocational rehabilitation agency. Social Security considers the existence of subsidy and special conditions when they make an SGA decision. They use only earnings that represent the real value of the work you perform to decide if your work is at the SGA level. This works in your favor - if Social Security decides that subsidy or special conditions exist, you can earn more while continuing to receive beneifts.
Subsidy or special conditions may exist if:
- You receive more supervision than other workers doing the same or a similar job for the same pay;
- You have fewer or simpler tasks to complete than other workers doing the same job for the same pay; or
- You have a job coach or mentor who helps you perform some of your work.
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Work that disqualifies an individual from Social Security disability benefits. Social Security uses earning limits to determine whether or not an individual is performing SGA.
For 2010, SGA is $1,000 ($1,640 for people who are blind).
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A standard form that indicates eligibility for the Ticket to Work Program.
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A program of the federal Social Security Administration (SSA) designed to expand access to employment for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities.
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Any month when gross income reaches at least $720 (for 2010). Trial Work month income levels are indexed annually for increases or decreases in the cost of living. Previous Trial Work month gross income levels were:
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The nine Trial Work months occurring within a five-year window when an individual can work and continue receiving full Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. These work months can occur one right after the other (consecutive) or one at a time (non-consecutive.) The nine Trial Work months is the Trial Work Period if the months are used within a five-year window (60 months). |
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Funds received from sources for which no paid work activity is performed.
Disability benefits such as SSDI, SSI, short term disability insurance, and long term disability insurance; VA benefits; Workers' Compensation; income from a trust or investment; spousal support; dividends, profits, or funds received from any source other than work are all usually considered unearned income.
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Financial or other assistance from an agency or individual to help establish or sustain a self-employed person’s business. Examples include a government agency paying for some of your business expenses, or providing you with things of value (e.g. office space) free of charge.
Social Security rules do not penalize you for receiving unincurred business expenses. Instead, Social Security deducts the value of any unincurred business expenses from your net income when deciding if you have reached the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level for any given month. SSA uses fair market value to assess the value of any unincurred business expenses.
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The estimated value of any unpaid assistance from your spouse, children or others provided to your business. If someone provides your business with 10 hours/month of free web design work, and the prevailing wage for that kind of work in your community is $25/hour, the value of that unpaid help is $250/month.
Social Security rules do not penalize you for receiving unpaid help. Instead, Social Security deducts the value of any unpaid help that your business receives from your net income when deciding if you have reached the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level each month.
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One of the eligibility requirements for SSDI is to have worked and paid FICA taxes for specified periods of time. If you work and earn at least $1,120 for one quarter (three months), and pay FICA taxes, you earn one SSDI "work credit." You can earn up to four credits within a 12-month period.
The number of work credits needed to qualify for SSDI depends upon how old you were when Social Security determined that you are disabled.
If you were determined disabled before age 24, you need 6 credits within the past 3 years to be eligible for SSDI.
If you were determined disabled between the ages of 24 and 31, you need 12 credits within the past 6 years to be eligible for SSDI.
If you were determined disabled after you turned 31, you need the number of work credits shown in the table below. And unless you are blind, you need to have earned at least 20 of those credits in the 10 years prior to becoming disabled.
Work Credits Required for SSDI Eligibility for those Born After 1929
Became Disabled At Age: |
Number of Credits Needed |
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31 through 42 |
20 |
44 |
22 |
46 |
24 |
48 |
26 |
50 |
28 |
52 |
30 |
54 |
32 |
56 |
34 |
58 |
36 |
60 |
38 |
62 or older |
40 |
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Social Security’s rules that are used to adjust Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits when an individual works.
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Physical or mental activity that is actually performed and results in earned income. |
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A program that replaces income when you can't work because of on-the-job injuries.
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