What is Social Security?

Social Security is a program administered by the government which is funded by means of payroll taxes known as the Federal Insurance Contributions Act or FICA.

How Does Social Security Work?

When you work, you pay taxes, coming from a portion of your income, for the social security system. The program then, will provide you certain benefits if you have any disabilities or at the time of your retirement.

A person pays 6.2% of his/her salary and his/her employer also pays 6.2% to the social security program.

Those people who are self-employed have to pay the full 12.4% to the program.

The payment is divided into two: 1.8% goes to the social security disability benefits program and the other 10.6% goes to the social security retirement benefits program.

The benefits in Social Security are being offered under two programs, depending on your status (claimant). These programs are the following:

1. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

The Supplemental Security Income or SSI provides benefits to people who are disabled, aged, or blind and who have a limited or no income at all. SSI is funded by means of general tax revenues and not by Social Security taxes.

2. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

The Social Security Disability Insurance or SSDI is a program that is available to people who have worked for a certain period of time.

The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is also known by the following terms:

 Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance or RSDI

 Social Security Disability or SSD

 Title II benefits

Social Security Disability

Social Security Disability or SSD provides benefits to individuals who are no longer capable of doing substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to a mental or physical impairment that is expected to last for not less than one year or result in death.

Below is a list of some of the mental or medical impairments that may be awarded in the Social Security Disability program:

• Aids and HIV

• Skin disorders

• Depression (such as dysthymia, major depression, and mild depression) and other mood-related disorders (such as bipolar syndrome)

• Respiratory illnesses (these include, bronchitis, asthma and asthma attacks, sleep apnea, pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis)

• Musculoskeletal problems (carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, fractures, joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, etc.)

• Neoplastic disorders (cancer of the esophagus or stomach, breast cancer, prostate cancer, sarcoma, hodgkin's disease, lung cancer)

• Cardiovascular conditions (chronic heart failure, arrhythmia, blocked artery, congenital heart defect, heart attack)

• Neurological conditions (Parkinson's disease, brain tumor, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury or TBI, stroke, lyme disease)

• Anxiety-related disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, panic attacks, agoraphobia)

Social Security Disability Claim

The application process for Social Security Disability claim might be very tricky, particularly for those people who do not know how the system works. Over 80% are denied at their initial application.

Some of the possible reasons for the denial of Social Security Disability claim are listed below:

• Mental or physical impairment that is not expected to last for not less than one year or result in death

• Failure to provide enough medical evidence

• Going back to work while the application for the benefits is still pending

• Impairment is not considered severe enough to receive disability benefits

• Capability of doing another type of work

• Disability has resulted from drug addiction or alcohol

• Capability of performing the usual type of work

• Failure to take prescribed medicine as directed

When your Social Security Disability claim has been denied, it is advisable to consult with an attorney who specializes in handling such cases.