Supplemental Security Income Attorneys in Tallahassee, FL

Ensure the Financial Assistance You Need

In Social Security disability law, there are strict rules to help determine which individuals qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and which qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

SSDI benefits are designed to provide assistance to adults who are:

• Disabled or unable to work for over a year
• Have not reached retirement age and have paid into Social Security through taxes
• As well as the family members of disabled individuals

SSI benefits, on the other hand, exist to provide assistance to individuals with minor to no income, who may have not paid enough in taxes to qualify for SSDI benefits.

Determining benefits eligibility can be extremely difficult. For experienced legal assistance in pursuing Supplemental Security Income claims, contact our Tallahassee SSD attorneys at Anderson & Hart, P.A.

What are the Requirements to Qualify for SSI & SSDI?

SSDI

Individuals may qualify for varying amounts of SSDI or SSI benefits depending on their circumstances. SSDI benefits are based on “work credits,” which are determined per the amount of income the applicant earned in a year prior to becoming disabled.

SSI

SSI benefits, meanwhile, take into account the applicant’s overall income level. That is to say that an applicant must have an income below the federal benefit rate, or FBR, to qualify for SSI.

As of 2019, the FBR is $771 per month for individuals and $1,157 for couples. To qualify for SSI, individuals must also have less than $2,000 in assets and couples must have less than $3,000 in assets. Despite these fixed amounts, it can still be difficult to determine whether you qualify for SSI.

Only a percentage of earned income is used to calculate SSI eligibility. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not count the first $65 in an individual’s paycheck per month, as well as half of earnings over $65 per month. They also do not count the first $20 in total income.

The following are are also usually not considered countable income when applying for SSI:

• Food stamps
• Tax refunds
• Public benefits
• And loans

However, there are other sources that may be counted as part of total monthly income and affect SSI benefits.

In certain cases, the SSA may take the income of other individuals living with the SSI applicant into account when calculating their income. For instance, if an applicant’s spouse does not receive SSI, a portion of their spouse’s income will be considered a part of their countable income.

This is why it is important to know the difference between the is $771 FBR for individuals and the $1,157 FBR for couples. In cases where a disabled child applies for SSI, the SSA will count a percentage of their parents’ income as the child’s own income, while also subtracting allowances for other children and family members.

Do SSI Benefits Vary from State to State?

Despite the federal guidelines regarding monthly SSI benefits, the amount of income you are able to earn and still quality for SSI may vary somewhat from state to state.

Currently, the only states that do not make supplemental payments to SSI recipients are:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Mississippi
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Texas
• And West Virginia

The amount a given state provides in supplements may vary anywhere between $10 and $700. Generally, the SSI income limit increases with the amount of the state supplement, so individuals that live in states with higher supplement amounts are still able to qualify for SSI benefits.

There are varying factors that determine supplemental income from state to state, such as:

• Age
• And living situation

Hire an Experienced SSI Attorney Today

For assistance with Supplemental Security Income, family benefits, application denial, and a range of other SSDI needs, contact the skilled lawyers at Anderson & Hart, P.A.

Our Tallassee legal team have been through many Social Security Disability hearings, and have the knowledge and determination necessary to help you receive all the benefits you qualify for. We know that the Social Security application process is complicated, which is why we promise to guide you through it every step of the way.