You may be surprised to learn that an individual with the same recorded disability as you received a different amount of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Similarly, you may be shocked if you hear that an individual with an arguably less critical health condition than you collects more. The Social Security Administration (SSA) was likely fair in its decision-making; you just need to understand how. Well, for this, please follow along to find out the extenuating factors that might affect the value of your monthly SSDI benefits payments and how a proficient SSDI attorney in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help paint a clear picture of what you might expect to receive.
What employment and medical factors affect the value of my SSDI benefits?
Unlike Social Security Insurance (SSI) benefits, SSDI benefits are not based on an individual’s financial need. Rather, eligibility for this program functions primarily on an individual’s work credits. Specifically, work credits are earned by working and paying Social Security taxes. Therefore, the more work credits you have, the greater your monthly SSDI benefits payments may be. This is formally calculated using your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME), which is an inflation-adjusted average of your working years.
It is worth reiterating that SSDI benefit amounts are tied exclusively to earnings history, not medical history. That is, medical evidence determines your initial approval by the SSA, but once approved, it does not influence your payment size any further. However, you should still take collecting medical records seriously, as establishing your disability onset date may affect your back pay and subsequently your total earnings. Simply put, the earlier your onset date was, the more months of retroactive compensation you may receive.
Do other financial resources affect the value of my SSDI benefits?
Even though the SSDI benefits program is not need-based, certain external financial factors might impact your eligibility for payments entirely, not just the value of them. For example, say you are getting better at managing your disability, and thereby you find yourself capable of participating in part-time work activity. Well, you must ensure the income from this new job stays below the SSA’s substantial gainful activity (SGA) threshold. In the chance that there is an overpayment of benefits in a return-to-work attempt, there may be serious consequences.
Secondly, say you initially incurred your disability from a catastrophic personal injury or workplace accident. Well, eventually, you may receive a considerable settlement or final judgment payout from a legal action. If so, the SSA holds the right to reduce your SSDI benefits amount so that you do not exceed a federally enforced percentage of your pre-disability earnings. Of note, though, a piece of good news may be that your spouse’s income, savings, or overall financial standing may not affect your potential for SSDI earnings in the slightest.
There is no shame in asking for help, especially when you are dealing with something as serious as a legal matter that could affect your physical, emotional, and financial well-being. So please retain legal assistance from a talented SSDI attorney in New Jersey, from The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur. We will happily lend a hand.
