SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE, Part 1

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE, Part 1 Image

If you or a loved one was injured on the job and now unable to work, you most likely have a disability claim. Workers compensation allows for disability coverage. In some cases, mainly when a worker has been with a company for a long time, and their disability is indeed permanent, they would most likely apply for social security disability benefits. In an upcoming article, we will compare and explain the differences between workers compensation disability and Social Security. But in this article, we attempt to give you an overview of Oklahoma’s Social Security disability insurance.

The acronym for this is SSDI. This is operated by a federal program designed essentially to give financial assistance to those who are unable to work due to either a physical or mental disability. This insurance exists for the many people over past decades who are unable to work through no fault of their own. Something happened to cause their mental or physical condition that renders them unemployable.

As you can imagine, the application process for a disability claim through SSDI can be tedious and even overwhelming. An incredible number of people apply for this coverage every year. Some of them do not qualify. Still, the waiting time can be several months or more, as each claim has to be reviewed and investigated.

If you or a loved one is going to pursue a social security disability Insurance claim in Oklahoma, you should be well prepared before you begin the process. This organization has a backlog and having everything ready in advance will help speed up the processing of your claim but more importantly, increase your likelihood of having your claim approved.

Remember, this coverage comes out of your social security payments that you have made over your working years. So you need to have been employed for a long enough time period and you need to have been employed recently. You cannot go two years without working and then decide that you want the coverage. You need to have accumulated what is known as Social Security work credits. Here we share the qualification details:

How the Social Security Administration defines “disability”:

  • You cannot do work that you once performed before.
  • The SSA decides you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition(s); AND
  • Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

It is important to note that SSDI pays only for claims of total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability. You see, the Social Security Administration assumes working families can access other resources, such as workers’ comp or savings, during periods of short-term unemployment or disability.

In an upcoming article, we’ll explain the process further.