Do you know the difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
SSDI and SSI are both programs that provide cash benefits to individuals who are disabled, but that is where the comparisons stop. SSDI and SSI are wildly different, and they each have their own specific financial requirements for eligibility. The main thing that separates SSDI from SSI is the fact that SSDI is only available to workers who have worked long enough to accumulate a certain amount of credits, while SSI is available to individuals with low-income who either haven’t worked enough to earn enough credits or haven’t worked at all.
What is exactly is SSDI?
SSDI is funded with payroll taxes, and people who receive SSDI are considered to be insured because they have contributed to the Social Security trust fund and have worked a specific number of years. In addition to accumulating the work credits, you also have to be younger than 65 in order to eligible for SSDI. If an individual receives SSDI for 2 or more years, they then become eligible for Medicare. With SSDI, a beneficiary’s children or spouse may also be eligible to receive auxiliary benefits. It is also important to note that the SSDI benefits you are eligible to receive will depend on your earnings history.
Many people confuse SSDI and SSI, but they are very different things, and if you are currently trying to apply for benefits, it’s important to know the difference. Stay tuned for our Louisville disability attorney’s next blog to learn all about SSI.
