Beginner’s Guide to Social Security Disability Benefits

Social Security disability benefits can help support enrollees when they are unable to work. To receive these benefits, individuals need to enroll in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Depending on their needs, recipients may be eligible to receive SSDI benefits for as long as they are disabled.

You may be wondering, “What is SSDI benefits and how can they help me?” These benefits are designed to provide you with monthly support when you cannot work due to a health-related condition. Likewise, the maximum SSDI benefit you can receive relates to your past earnings history. However, if you qualify for this program by having a certain disability, you can collect benefits to help you financially.

Social Security Disability Benefits for You

If you qualify for SSDI, you can begin collecting disability benefits to help support you when you cannot work. When you enroll in this program, you can begin receiving monthly checks to help you afford basic living expenses. Technically, there are no limits regarding what you can purchase with your Social Security disability benefits. However, you should consider using your funds to pay for basic and important necessities, such as:

• Rent and utilities.
• Clothing expenses.
• Food and household groceries.

Social Security Disability for Children

There are certain Social Security disability benefits for children that young people can obtain. However, these benefits are available through the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) program. In fact, SSDI for children is only available to adults who have been disabled since childhood. This means that individuals who are younger than 18 years of age cannot collect SSDI benefits on their own.

However, keep in mind that there is SSDI for dependent children. In these cases, these individuals qualify through their disabled parents’ records. In these instances, dependents may qualify for benefits if they are:

• Younger than 18 years of age.
• Full-time students between 18 and 19 years of age who have not yet completed 12th grade.
• Older than 18 years of age and have disabilities that were diagnosed before they were 22 years of age.

Can my spouse get SSDI benefits through my claim when I am alive?

There are certain SSDI spouse benefits your husband or wife may be eligible to receive. For example, your spouse can receive benefits if he or she is 62 years of age or older. These benefits would last until your spouse reaches his or her full retirement age. However, if you are wondering, “If I get disability will my spouse receive benefits?” there are some instances when your spouse may not. This is true if he or she is already collecting Social Security (SS) based on his or her own earnings history. If your spouse’s SS benefits are higher than yours would be, he or she cannot collect your SSDI benefits.

Furthermore, remember that there are certain disability benefits for spouse and child that your partner could be entitled to receive. If your spouse is taking care of your child who is younger than 16 years of age, your spouse can collect benefits. This continues for your spouse until he or she can begin collecting Social Security retirement or survivor benefits. If your spouse ages out of this benefit plan and your child is still a minor, your dependent could still collect support.

Does a surviving spouse get Social Security disability benefits?

Spouse disability benefits after death are not transferable to another individual. This means that individuals cannot collect their spouses’ SSDI benefits after they pass away. However, there are some benefits for a spouse of a disabled person who is deceased that can be collected. These are referred to as survivor benefits. Individuals should contact their closest Social Security office if they are interested in obtaining these benefits.

Additionally, keep in mind that you may be able to collect Social Security benefits for surviving spouse if disabled. If you are disabled and qualify to receive benefits because you cannot work, you may do so. However, in these instances, there are specific requirements you need to meet before you can enroll. This is because you must qualify for benefits through your own application. In this case, you would not be collecting deceased spouse disability benefits.

Ex Spouse Social Security Disability Benefits

When you are learning about family disability benefits, you may wonder if you can collect your prior spouse’s SSDI benefits. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to collect divorced spouse Social Security disability benefits. Among other criteria, this is possible if you:

• Were married to your previous spouse for at least 10 years.
• Have not remarried.
• Are entitled to benefits that are worth less than your spouse’s benefits, or are not entitled to benefits at all.
• Have been divorced for at least two years.