Should I Apply for SSI?

More often than you would imagine, I have clients decline some of the money that they might be eligible to receive. Why would anybody do that? Because some Social Security intake representatives suggest filing for SSI is different than filing for Disability. They suggest that only certain “types” apply for SSI… I am here to tell you: Apply for both.

SSI is “supplemental security income.” It is for people who are disabled and who lack excess financial means. That could be any of us. The government uses a means-test to decide whether you can get this type of payment. SSI can be paid on its own, or in addition to a second check, if that second disability check does not by itself put you over the dollar limit. If you do not meet the criteria for SSI, Social Security will do the calculations and let you know. Most of the time, when people are discouraged from applying for SSI, it is just an overworked SSA employee getting out of doing more work.

That other disability check, most people call “disability” or “SSD” for short, gets its eligibility from having a strong work history. You have been able to work long enough in recent years, at high-enough wages, to have "credits of coverage." You work, the government takes out various taxes before your take home pay, and some of those taxes go toward giving you coverage to file for disability insurance benefits.

The catch is when hardworking people, who are proud of their work ethic, do their phone interviews to screen the types of checks they may qualify to receive. A Social Security claims representative inevitably describes SSI as a poverty-based program. The disabled worker’s personal opinion is that this does not apply to them, and they say “no, I don’t want to apply for that one.”

Again: Apply for both. If you do not qualify, SSA will certainly let you know. The thing to remember is this: If you decline to apply for SSI when your application is first taken, then you are potentially missing out on months and months of benefits because SSI only becomes effective the first full month after you file for it. For people who were talked out of applying but file for SSI later, you can’t get matched to that earlier date.

Social Security Disability is filled with many confusing policies. You don’t have to do it on your own. I hope this Internet resource has been useful. If you still find it overwhelming or would just prefer to have an experienced attorney do it for you, call us at 1-866-425-5347. We are here to help.