Every year, millions of American workers find themselves suffering from a disabling health condition that prevents them from maintaining a regular work schedule and prevents them from earning enough income. Luckily, the Social Security Administration provides disability or SSD benefits to help them make ends meet. However, proving eligibility can be difficult, depending on the type of health condition you have and the severity of your diagnosis. It can also be difficult to determine how much your disability payment will be each month before you apply. Keep reading to learn more about the SSD process and which disability factors result are used to determine your benefits.
Disability Factors: How to Determine Your Disability Payment
How much money you receive each month from the Social Security Administration depends greatly on 2 main disability factors. These include:
- Which type of benefits you’re eligible to receive. (SSI or SSDI)
- How much money you have earned and paid into the Social Security system in your lifetime.
Every year, the Social Security Administration should send out a statement that details how much money you would be entitled to if you became disabled at the same time that the statement was prepared. Typically, this is the best way to determine how much disability benefits you are eligible to receive each month.
Requesting a New Statement
If you don’t have a copy of your Social Security Statement on hand or you’ve never gotten one in the mail, you can contact the Social Security Administration to request a copy. Just be aware that it can take anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks from the day that you request the new copy before it ends up in your mailbox. If you are unable to wait for a new copy to be mailed to you, you can also visit the Social Security Administration benefits calculator online to see how much you may receive monthly, should you qualify for benefits.