Understanding SSA Disability Benefits: SSDI and SSI

With the increasing number of people with disability today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) would surely be very busy in providing their disability benefits. Two of the most popular SSA disability benefits are the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Many people often get confused in relating to each of them because of their abbreviation similarities.
However, it is crucial to point out that SSDI and SSI are in fact very different benefits. To understand more about their differences, below are some comparisons based on some important factors:
Eligibility
In order to receive any type of disability benefit, an applicant should satisfy several strict requirements. These qualifications are often based on the applicant’s situation and current state of living.
SSDI – Also called Disability Insurance Benefit (DIB), SSDI is the major disability benefit of the SSA. Here are the main requirements for eligibility:
• The employee should have a severe disability that prevents him from performing any gainful activity.
• He should have paid Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes for at least five years over the last 10 years.
SSI – This type of insurance benefit is offered by the SSA for financially-deprived U.S. citizens. Below are some of its qualifications:
• The applicant should either be disabled, blind or over 65 years old.
• He should be a certified U.S. citizen.
• The claimant’s income should not exceed a certain amount, and his assets should not cost more than $2,000 ($3,000 if he is married).
Benefits
SSDI and SSI both offer monthly benefits. However, the bases for their benefits differ greatly. SSDI benefits are based on the contributions of the employee, while SSI claims are based on an applicant’s financial needs. An SSDI claimant would automatically get Medicare after two years of receiving SSDI benefits. On the other hand, SSI beneficiaries would have to apply first before they can receive Medicare.

Continued Eligibility
Both disability benefits have some sort of eligibility review to determine if the disability recipient is still eligible to get benefits. SSI’s primary concern is an individual’s income, while SSDI conducts Continuing Disability Reviews.
SSDI and SSI would indeed make lives easier and more fulfilling for disabled individuals. However, applicants should make sure that they meet the specific requirements of each disability benefit in order to start receiving financial benefits. Disability claimants should also be warned that falsification of documents and statements are prohibited when submitting qualifications. If an applicant was found to be making false information about his situation, he would be barred to get any SSA benefit for a certain period of time.