Getting A Social Security Number For A New Baby
The easiest way to get a Social Security number for your child is at the hospital after they are born when you apply for your childs birth certificate. If you wait to apply for a number at a Social Security office, there may be delays while SSA verifies your childs birth certificate.
;Your child will need their own Social Security number so you can:
- Claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return
- Open a bank account in their name
- Get medical coverage for them
- Apply for government services for them
The Canada Pension Plan
The Canada Pension Plan is designed to provide you and your family with a modest replacement of earnings in the case of retirement, disability or death. The CPP is a contributory plan. This means that all costs are covered by the financial contributions that employees, employers, and self-employed workers pay, and from revenue earned on CPP investments. The CPP operates in every province and territory in Canada except Quebec. The Province of Quebec administers its own program called the Quebec Pension Plan for workers in Quebec. The two plans work together to ensure that all contributors are protected, no matter where they live.
Calculating Your Benefit Amount
The formula for calculating your Social Security benefits and your Disability benefits is exactly the same right up until the very end. Well get into how it diverges in the next section, but for now, well focus on the shared process.
The first step is calculating your average indexed monthly earnings . The Social Security Administration will take your 35 highest-earning years into consideration. For each of those years, it will index your income for inflation and include it up to the taxable maximum . For tax year 2020, this point is $137,700.
Next, the SSA will add up these totals and divide to get your AIME. If you have more than 35 earning years, your lowest years will be excluded. If you have less, the SSA will include a $0 in the calculation for every year youre short.
The last step is to calculate your primary insurance amount from your AIME. To calculate your PIA, the SSA will take a percentage of three different chunks of your AIME. The exact amount of these portions will differ slightly depending on the year you become disabled or turn 62. If you do either in 2021 the SSA will take 90% of your first $996, 32% of the amount between that and $6,002 and 15% of anything that remains. The total is your PIA.
You May Like: Reserve Retired Pay Calculator
Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits Application Checklist
- Have you written your Social Insurance Number in the box at the top of each sheet you have added?
- Have you provided your date of birth on page 1?
- Have you read and signed section H on page 17 ?
- Have you read and signed section I on page 18 ?
If you are currently receiving a disability benefit from an insurance company or a provincial/territorial agency:
- Have you asked them to send your most recent medical report to Service Canada?
If you are not currently receiving a disability benefit from an insurance company or a provincial/territorial agency:
- Have you completed Sections 1 and 2 of the Medical Report?
- The Medical Report must be signed within 12 months of presenting an application.
- Have you asked your doctor or nurse practitioner to complete sections 3 to 9 of the Medical Report and mail it to Service Canada?
- Have you removed the information and instructions pages from the application at the front and back?
Service Canada will pay your doctor or nurse practitioner for completing your medical report .
They are responsible for sending Service Canada a bill. If they charge more than Service Canadas maximum amount, you are responsible for paying the extra cost.
Service Canada will pay up to the following amounts
| Form title |
|---|
To get the Reinstatement of CPP Disability Benefits Physician Confirmation Form, contact Service Canada.
How Much Do I Contribute To The Cpp
The amount you contribute is based on your employment earnings. If you are self-employed, your contributions are based on your net business income . You do not contribute on any other type of income, such as investment earnings. If, during a year, you contributed too much or earned less than a set minimum amount, your excess contributions will be refunded to you when you file your income tax return. You make contributions only on your annual earnings between a minimum and a maximum amount . The minimum amount is $3,500. The maximum amount is adjusted each January, based on increases in the average wage. For example, in 2016, the maximum amount is $54,900. The contribution rate on these pensionable earnings is 9.9%, split equally between you and your employer. If you are self-employed, you pay the full 9.9%. The maximum contribution for employers and employees in 2016, for example, is $2,544.30 each. If you are self-employed, the maximum contribution is $5,088.60. For the most up-to-date amounts, visit our Web site.
Note: The minimum and maximum CPP contribution amounts also apply to CPP contributions made while working and receiving a CPP retirement pension. These contributions will go toward the post-retirement benefit.
Recommended Reading: Dod Retirement Calculator
Medical Information For Continuing Eligibility
You are very important in helping us determine whether your patient should continue to receive a disability benefit, or whether they might be eligible for the CPP Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
We periodically review a beneficiarys case to ensure continuing eligibility, and we may ask you for up-to-date medical information on your patients condition. If so, you may be asked to complete a short medical report.
Our periodic reviews give us an opportunity to make contact with clients and identify what services would suit them best. If your patients case is being reviewed, your patient will also be asked to provide medical and non-medical information.
Because everyones medical condition is unique, each case is looked at individually. Once all the necessary information has been collected, a decision to continue or stop disability benefits is made.
Note
To avoid delays for your patient, please answer all the questions on any forms you are asked to fill out and send it back to Service Canada as soon as possible.
Assistance Completing The Application
Do you want to authorize someone to communicate with Service Canada for you? Print the Consent to Communicate Information to an Authorized Person , complete it, and mail it to Service Canada.
Note
The person you authorize will not be able to apply for benefits on your behalf, change your payment address, or make changes related to withholding of federal income tax. However, they can get help from Service Canada to clarify eligibility and find out which forms are required.
Incapability
If a CPP applicant is unable to manage their own affairs due to a severe mental impairment, there are 2 options:
- if the applicant already has a court-appointed trustee or has given someone power of attorney to support them in managing their affairs, Service Canada can work directly with the trustee or person with power of attorney
- if the applicant does not have a trustee and has not given power of attorney to anyone, they can authorize someone to advocate on their behalf using the form Agreement to administer benefits under the Old Age Security Act and/or the Canada Pension Plan by a Private Trustee
To do this:
Recommended Reading: Va Rating For Degenerative Disc Disease
What Happens With Social Security Disability Recipients At Retirement Age
The Social Security Administration recognizes that concern, and it takes into account the impact that disability has on income potential. Specifically, as the SSA spells out here, when you reach full retirement age, if you’re still receiving disability benefits, then they automatically convert into retirement benefits. However, even though they’re technically paid out of a different part of the Social Security program, the amount remains the same as it was before, based on the formulas that govern how much you received in disability benefits. In essence, for disability recipients, Social Security ignores the 35-year work history rule and only considers work history prior to disability.
In addition, even if you’re not disabled at the time you retire, many individuals qualify for what the SSA calls a “disability freeze.” By applying for the disability freeze, you can ask Social Security to ignore your periods of disability in their calculations for retirement and survivors’ benefits. That in turn makes sure that you’re not penalized for those zero-earnings years even if you’re able to overcome your disability and return to work later in your career.
How Do I Decide When To Take My Retirement Pension
The decision is yours and depends on your circumstances. Some considerations are:
- whether or not you still earn an income and contribute to the CPP;
- how long you have contributed;
- how much you have contributed and the amount of CPP retirement pension you can expect to receive;
- your other retirement income;
- your health; and
- your retirement plans.
You May Like: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Va Rating
When Will I Receive My Benefit
Your disability benefit usually begins in the 120 days after Service Canada determines that you have a severe and prolonged mental or physical medical condition, as defined by the CPP. For example, if Service Canada determines that you were disabled in July, then you will start receiving your benefit payment in November.
You may receive up to 12 months of retroactive payments from the date your application was received.
How Will My Age Of 65 Impact My Long
Your long-term disability policy will typically have a schedule of benefits, which details how long your benefits will last and when they become payable, among other things. ;The schedule of benefits section of your policy will specify the maximum benefit period, or the particular age at which benefits will end. ;However, if you become disabled after age 65, your benefits will typically only last for a certain number of months, rather than until a certain age. ;For example, your policy might state that, if you become disabled at age 65, you can receive up to 18 months of benefits.
The number of months for which benefits are payable will likely vary from policy to policy, so it is important to read your policy carefully to determine how long you can receive benefits. ;Although the length of time for which you can receive benefits may vary, the application process for long-term disability benefits remains the same regardless of your age.
Although your age may limit the amount of time you can receive long-term disability benefits, it may also benefit your claim if you become disabled after age 65. ;Some definitions of disability take your age into account when determining if you are entitled to long-term disability benefits. ;This can sometimes make the definition easier to meet because your age will affect your employability in the national economy for either your own or any occupation.
Read Also: Is Sciatica Considered A Disability
Social Security Benefits For Child Of Disabled Parent
The child of a disabled worker can qualify for benefits if they meet the conditions for coverage as a retired workers child. To qualify, the child must be:
- Unmarried and younger than 18, or 19 if still in high school
- Unmarried and age 18 or older if the child has a disability that began before age 22
The Worn Out Worker Rule
In addition to the above grid rules, the “work out worker” rule can be used to approve disability benefits for people whose primary work was physical labor and who have only a marginal education. This rule allows for a quick approval of benefits if the following criteria are met:
- The claimant didn’t go past the 6th grade in school.
- The claimant has worked at least 35 years doing only “arduous unskilled physical labor” .
- The claimant can’t do his or her old job because of his or her impairments.
Don’t Miss: How To Change My Va Direct Deposit
What Is My Contributory Period And How Is It Used
The time during which you can contribute to the CPP is called your contributory period. We use your contributory period to determine your eligibility for benefits and to calculate the amount of any CPP benefit that you become eligible to receive . Your contributory period begins when you reach age 18 and ends either when you begin receiving your CPP retirement pension, when you reach age 70, or when you die, whichever happens first. You do not contribute while receiving a CPP disability benefit, or during periods when you have no earnings or your earnings are below the $3,500 minimum amount. If you are receiving your CPP retirement pension and you are working and contributing to the CPP, your contributions will count toward your post-retirement benefit; they are therefore not part of your contributory period.
How To Get A Social Security Card
You May Like: Can You Collect California State Disability And Social Security
Recommended Reading: Piriformis Syndrome Va Rating
Do I Have To Take Part B
You are not required to take Part B, and some people choose to delay. Deciding to opt out of Part B at this time is a personal choice and depends on your unique situation. ;about whether or not you should take Part B when you qualify for Medicare with a disability. Some people who qualify for Medicare under age 65 due to disability but are covered under an employers plan or a spouses employer plan, may opt to delay.2
What Is Credit Splitting
When a marriage or common-law relationship ends, the CPP credits built up by a couple while they lived together can be divided equally between them. These credits can be split upon divorce or separation even if one spouse or common law-partner did not pay into the CPP. The impact of credit splitting on spouses and common-law partners who are no longer together can vary considerably depending on individual circumstances.
Note: Months when a person is in receipt of a CPP retirement pension or a CPP disability benefit are not included in the periods to be split. Also, credits accumulated toward the post-retirement benefit by someone receiving the CPP retirement pension are not subject to credit splitting.
Read Also: Army Medical Retirement Pay Calculator
Contact A Social Security Disability Attorney For Assistance
If you need assistance applying for or appealing a denial of SSDI benefits, turn to the experienced Social Security disability attorneys at Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett for help. Our team has over 125 years of combined legal experience, so we have the resources and legal knowledge that it takes to get results for our clients. Let us stand by your side and lead the fight to secure the SSDI benefits you deserve.
Take the first step toward obtaining the benefits you need by contacting us today. Schedule a free consultation regarding your case by calling 877-728-9653 or filling out the form on this website now.
Who Contributes To The Post
If you are under age 65 and you work while receiving your CPP retirement pension, you and your employer will continue to make CPP contributions. If you are self-employed, you will have to contribute both the employee and employer portions. These contributions will go toward your post-retirement benefit. If you are at least age 65 but under 70 and you work while receiving your CPP retirement pension, you can elect to stop making further CPP contributions toward the post-retirement benefit. To do so, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website or call 1-800-959-8281. If you decide to continue to make contributions, your employer will also have to contribute. If you are self-employed, you will have to pay both the employee and the employer portions.
Also Check: Agr Retirement Pay Calculator
Medicare Part D For Disabled Under 65
If you choose Medicare, youll need a Part D drug plan. Youll pay a premium, and a copay or coinsurance. Many people on Social Security Disability qualify for Extra Help with Part D costs. Eligibility for Extra Help is based on income and assets. If youre on Medicaid, you automatically qualify for Extra Help.
How Much Would I Receive In Disability Benefit Versus An Early Retirement Pension
Just for comparison, if in the example above Susan had applied for an early retirement pension at age 60 instead of applying for a disability benefit, her retirement pension at age 65 would have been reduced by the actuarial adjustment of 36% for taking it early. As a result, it would have been approximately $353.96 .
Related article: Should I collect CPP retirement pension early?
Also Check: How To Change Va Disability Direct Deposit