How Long Does It Usually Take To Get That First Ssdi Payment
The SSA says it takes them 3-5 months to review each SSDI benefits application. Plus, federal law requires a five-month waiting period before the agency can pay benefits to anyone that gets approved. That means 6 months after you apply for SSDI is the soonest you can get your first Massachusetts disability check. Unfortunately, 2 in 5 first-time SSDI applicants get turned down for simple mistakes on the claim paperwork. Things like stapling two pages together or writing in the margins can get your first application denied! If you decide to chance it and get denied, youll wait 1-2 years before your appeal goes through. Thats why we recommend getting a lawyer to help you apply for free.
All Social Security lawyers in our network work on contingency. That means they cannot charge you anything until after your claims already approved. This year, Massachusetts disability claims for SSDI take 462 days to process, on average. Thats almost 16 months! If youre denied the first time and have to appeal, the first step takes about 100 days. Then if youre denied again, you have 60 days left to request an appeals hearing. Right now, it takes 10 months to get your appeals hearing scheduled in Boston. But if you live in Lawrence, youll wait 20 months for your appeals hearing, on average.
Massachusetts Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission is the division responsible for offering Vocational Rehabilitation Services to the public. The MRC helps recipients find and retain jobs in the work force that accommodate for their disability. A recipient already receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income is already eligible for VR services.
There are several VR offices located throughout Massachusetts. To find your local office, view our Massachusetts Vocational Rehabilitation Services page or contact the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission listed below.
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
600 Washington Street 2nd FloorBoston, MA 02111617-204-3600
Apply Online For Disability Benefits
Social Security offers an online disability application you can complete at your convenience. Apply from the comfort of your home or any location at a time most convenient for you. You do not need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.
You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:
- Are age 18 or older
- Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
- Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and
- Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied for medical reasons, the Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the medical determination we made.
- Print and review the Adult Disability Checklist.
It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.
We suggest that you have the following information at hand. It will make completing the application much easier.
Information About You
Information About Your Medical Condition
Information About Your Work
We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:
Important
We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.
Mailing Your Documents
After we receive your online application, we will:
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Massachusetts State Supplements For Ssi
After an applicant is awarded Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration, they become potentially eligible for Massachusettss state supplemental benefits. This benefit program is called the State Supplement Program . Massachusetts sends the state supplemental payments to claimants directly while the SSA sends the SSI payment separately.
How much an individual will receive depends on their living situation. A single claimant living alone can receive an additional $114.39 while a married claimant can receive an additional $90.03. There are several other living situations that are eligible to additional benefits. To learn more, contact Massachusetts’s SSP Customer Service at 1-877-863-1128. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Group Short Term Disability Plan Details
Salary Replacement: Up to 70 percent for employer-paid plans
Weekly Benefit: Up to $5,000 per week
Duration: Up to 52 weeks
Benefit Waiting Periods: Starting at zero days for accidents and seven for illnesses and pregnancies
Return-to-Work Incentives: Financial support for employees who are ready to come back to their jobs
Coverage Options: Non-occupational or 24-hour
Performance Guarantee: For groups with at least 1,000 insured employees
Reporting: Administrative claims reports available
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Supplemental Security Income Ssi
Unlike SSDI benefits, a person who is applying for SSI benefits need not have earned work credits. In fact, they need not have worked at all. Even children can receive SSI benefits.
Instead of being for workers who have earned disability benefits by paying into insurance, so to speak, SSI benefits are for disabled, blind, and aged individuals who are of limited income and resources. Work history is not a factor for SSI.
Types of income that count for SSI purposes including paycheck/employment income, unearned income, such as benefits and pensions, food or shelter that is received for free, and the income of a spouse or parent with whom you live. If your countable income is over the income limit, you cannot receive SSI benefits.
You Need Very Little Income And Almost No Assets To Get Ssi Benefits
You cannot currently receive more than $1,310 in monthly income to qualify for SSI. That includes any money you get from other sources, like earned interest, alimony or child support payments. You must also hold less than $2,000 in assets under your name to qualify for Massachusetts disability benefits through SSI. Asset examples that theyll count towards that limit include jewelry, stocks, bonds, your bank account, 401 or IRA funds. However, the SSA excludes certain things when counting up your total assets, such as:
- Your home and the land its on, if you own it
- One vehicle used for daily transportation needs
- Your wedding ring, furniture, clothing and household goods
Anything else you can sell for cash is an asset that counts toward your $2,000 maximum limit. The SSI asset limit for couples who apply is $3,000, and your monthly income cant total more than $1,310 combined.
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What Is The Application Process For Handicap Plates And Disabled Placards In Massachusetts
You can get an application by going to your local Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Branch or visiting MassRMV.com.
The first page of the application is for you to fill out and sign with your information. Your health care provider then does the same on the second page.
Once you finish this quick application, you have the option of either bringing it in yourself or simply mailing it to the RMV Medical Affairs Office.
On-site address:25 Newport Ave, Quincy MA 02171Mailing address:P.O. Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205
Who Qualifies For Ssdi
- People who have worked for a number of years and had enough money taken out of their paychecks for Social Security
- Self-employed people who paid self-employment taxes
- You must meet Social Securitys very strict definition of disability to qualify for SSDI.
- Having a low income or financial needs do not affect whether you can get SSDI.
If you get turned down for SSDI, reapply, and appeal if necessary. Many cases end up being approved after an appeal. The amount you get from SSDI will be based on how long you worked, and how much Social Security tax was taken from your pay. Once you apply for SSDI, the disability clock starts running. If your disability application is approved, you become eligible for Medicare after 24 months.
If you qualify and start getting SSDI, your spouse and any eligible children can also apply for SSDI. If you find you dont qualify for SSDI, but you are low-income and disabled, look into Supplemental Security Income . This program also can pay benefits to the disabled, but is based on your income and need.
If you have certain serious illnesses, including some types of cancer, it may take less time to be approved. The Social Security Administration can speed up their review of disability applications for people who have a diagnosis thats on their Compassionate Allowances list.
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Where Can I Get Help To Return To Work
Massachusetts provides services to individuals trying to go back to work through Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which is a division under the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Services provided include job training in preparation for getting a job, assistance getting a job, and help keeping your job despite an impairment.
There are Vocational Rehabilitation Services offices throughout the state to service individuals in need. To apply for services, you should contact your local office. A list of the local offices and their contact information can be found below.
Brockton
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Short Term Disability Insurance In Maryland
Short-term disability insurance in Maryland provides partial income replacement for non-occupational incidents that prevent people from working for up to twelve months.
The state does offer the TDAP program with a tiny benefit earmarked for a small group of applicants. If you qualify, the $185 monthly stipend provides little relief.
Temporary disability insurance through Workers Compensation only helps people dealing with on-the-job accidents and illnesses. Meanwhile, Social Security addresses non-occupational losses lasting one year or longer.
Short-term disability in Maryland works by filling this colossal gap left uncovered by government programs: up to twelve months of lost income due to off-the-job accidents and illnesses.
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S For Applying For Disability Benefits
If you are thinking about applying for Social Security disability benefits, its important that you know what steps you need to take and how the process is organized. Consider these following steps, and reach out to our lawyers directly if you have more questions.
1. Gather necessary documents. There are a number of documents that you will need to submit to the SSA when you apply for disability benefits. Gathering all of these documents early on and ensuring that you are well-organized is important.
Documents you need include:
a. Proof of your age
b. Your Social Security number
c. Your most recent W-2 form
d. Information about the last job you had prior to the injury and the type of work you performed at that job
e. All medical records, including your diagnosis, names of medications youre taking, lab and test results, the name of your doctor, and any other medical evidence you have
2. Family member information. If you have qualifying family members, youll also need to collect their information, including each qualifying members Social Security number, proof of age, and proof of relation .
3. Fill out your application. You can apply for benefits online. The application is complex and may feel overwhelming. To guide you through the process, working with an experienced disability lawyer is strongly recommended.
Staying On Ma Through Ssi 1619
If you get Supplemental Security Income and MA, and your SSI benefit goes to zero because you go back to work, an SSI rule called 1619 lets you to keep your MA coverage if you:
- Were eligible for an SSI cash payment for at least one month
- Were eligible for MA in the month before your SSI benefit went to zero
- Need MA coverage to keep working
- Still meet all the other SSI requirements, such as being disabled and having assets below $2,000, and
- Have less than $69,070 in total earned income.
MA coverage under 1619 has no premium or spenddown and covers the same services as standard MA.
For additional information, read the DB101 section on SSI, check out Social Securitys webpage on 1619, or Chat with a Hub expert.
Note: If you dont qualify for MA through 1619 because your income or assets are too high, you may qualify for MA through Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities . Read DB101s MA-EPD article to learn more.
Joe had been getting SSI for several years when his health improved and he decided to go back to work. After he started working, his income increased to $3,000 per month causing his monthly SSI benefit to drop to zero.
Even though his income is now well above 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, he is still eligible for MA through 1619 because his annual income is less than $69,070.
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What Is Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability Insurance is a government-run program that provides financial support to those who have become disabled and are no longer able to earn an income.
To qualify for SSDI, you need to meet certain criteria, including working a specific period of time and meeting the Social Security Administrations requirements to be considered disabled.
You need to have worked a minimum number of years because the program is funded by taxes taken out of paychecks. You can only collect benefits if you have contributed by having taxes taken out of your paychecks over the years.
What About Temporary Or Short
Massachusetts does offer two programs that offer short-term, emergency financial aid. However, theyre specifically designed to help parents of children under age 18 or people aged 65 and older. In other words, they arent meant to help people looking for monthly Massachusetts disability benefits. Learn ore about Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children . Essentially, if your pre-tax monthly income is more than $335-$911, then you probably wont qualify for those two programs. You also cant get payments for more than two months.
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If Approved For Ssi You Also Qualify For Massachusetts State Supplement Program Benefits
You cant get approved for Massachusetts disability payments through the SSP program unless youve already applied for SSI. But the good news is, once youre approved for SSI, you can get a little more money each month in SSP payments! Heres how monthly Massachusetts disability payments from the SSP program break down in 2021:
- $128.82 for each person aged 65 and up
- $149.74 for each blind person
- $114.39 for each disabled person
Keefe Disability Law Can Help You
When our office helps you with your claim for Disability Insurance Benefits, we can complete the online application for you. That way, you can get your claim started off right! In order to do this, we ask you to complete our forms, so that we have the best information to begin your application, and fill out the reports that Social Security requires. If you would like our help starting your online application, just call us at 904-6847 to set up an appointment.
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Next Steps For Apply For Ssdi Or Ssi Benefits
Evidence required by DDS for case documentation
Once you apply for disability benefits with the SSA, the Disability Determination Services , a division of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, will review your case. DDS will review medical information and vocational information, if necessary, that includes:
- A history of all work performed in the last 15 years
- A description of the physical demands and skill requirements for each job
- Educational history
When all required medical and vocational information is received, the disability examiner and staff physician and/or psychologist carefully evaluate each claim, using a sequential evaluation process.
The following people or agencies can help supply the information that is needed to process a claim for disability benefits.
- Treating physicians and psychologists
- School records
- Consultative examinations authorized by the DDS
How Does Social Security Define Disability
In order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits through either the SSI or SSDI program, the individual applying for benefits must have a qualifying disability. The Social Security Administration uses a step-by-step process to determine whether someone is disabled under their definition.
This process looks at questions such as these:
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