Those applying for Social Security Disability insurance (SSDI) for the first time often have many questions. Our Tulsa Social Security Disability attorneys have been helping individuals in Oklahoma secure SSDI benefits for years. This blog post includes a few of the most common Social Security Disability questions we have been asked over the years.
Three Frequently Asked Social Security Disability Questions
There are far too many Social Security Disability questions to include in a single blog. However, we consider the following to be a few of the most frequently asked:
- Do I have to wait until I file for my Social Security retirement before filing for Social Security Disability? No. However, depending on your age and employment status, you may not be eligible for disability benefits. If you are still working, you are not eligible for Social Security Disability. If you are 66 years old or older, then you can no longer receive disability benefits, because that is the age you are eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits. Therefore, you can file for Social Security Disability if you are unable to work due to your disability and under 66 years old.
- If I develop health problems after I file for Social Security retirement, is it then too late to apply for Social Security Disability? If you under 66 years old, then it is not too late. However, depending on when you took your retirement, the benefits increase could be minimal. For instance, if you took early retirement at age 62, then you would be getting 75 percent of your full rate. Disability benefits are paid at a rate equal to the age 66 full retirement rate. However, if you were already receiving retirement benefits, you will have one half of one percent from your pay rate for every month you received a retirement check. Therefore, if you received 24 retirement checks before switching to disability, then instead of the 100 percent pay rate, you would receive 88 percent of the full rate.
- If I am already receiving Social Security Disability benefits, at what age will I be switched from receiving disability benefits to Social Security retirement benefits? Generally, if people are already receiving Social Security Disability benefits, they will not be switched over to Social Security retirement benefits until age 66. The reason for this is because age 66 retirement benefits pay the same rate as disability benefits. Therefore, you will not notice the change. It is just a bookkeeping issue that results in the source of your benefits being paid from the retirement fund instead of the disability fund.
Do you have Social Security Disability questions that were not covered above? Reach out to us on our Twitter or Facebook pages for answers. You can also learn more about Social Security Disability, including SSI and SSDI, if you continue following our blog.
