Spousal Disability Benefits are financial compensation and other rights available to people with serious, chronic mental and physical impairments. It prevents them from engaging in normal activities of daily living or maintaining gainful employment.
Disability Benefits For Spouses come in various forms and from varying sources, such as workers’ compensation. Including the federal government, state or local governments, the military, accident liability, and other types of insurance.
Some states in the U.S. even require employers to provide employees with disability benefits for non-occupational injuries.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefit payments to qualified retirees and disabled people, and to their spouses, children, and survivors.
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program includes financial compensation for people with qualifying disabilities that have lasted or are likely to last 12 months or longer or result in death.
There are also Disability Benefits For Spouse and certain other family members if the working spouse had paid into the program through payroll taxes while working.
Another program administered by SSA is the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The SSI program provides compensation based on financial needs and is funded by general tax revenues.
In most cases, you can submit an application for benefits online.
Once entitlement to benefits has been established through a thorough and accurate application submission, you should expect to receive your first benefit payment from SSA for the sixth full month after the date SSA found that the disability began.
Family members who are eligible for Social Security disability benefits are:
- A spouse age 62 or older if they collect a lower Social Security benefit.
- A spouse at any age if they are caring for a dependent child determined by SSA to be entitled to disability benefits. The child must be under 16 years old or have become disabled before age 22 (see below).
- A divorced spouse that you had been married to for at least 10 years if they are at least 62 years old, remains unmarried. And, ineligible for an equal or higher benefit on their own or someone else’s employment record. Your marital status does not matter. Only your divorced spouse’s.
- A child, based on your employment record, if they are unmarried, under the age of 18 years, or a full-time student between the ages of 18 and 19. This benefit is available regardless of whether the child is your biological, adopted, or stepchild. A dependent grandchild may also qualify in some cases.
- An adult child who was disabled before age 22. An adult who has a disability that began before age 22 may be eligible for benefits if a parent is deceased or starts receiving retirement or disability benefits. The child must be unmarried, age 18 or older.
Have a disability that started before age 22, and meets SSA’s definition of disability.
It is also important to know that a disabled widow may be eligible for benefits based on their deceased spouse’s record. If you are not eligible for disability benefits based on your own employment record, you should not despair.
You may still qualify for benefits based on your spouse’s work record and payroll contributions to the SSA programs.
Spousal Disability Benefits -Documents Needed To Apply
- When applying for disability benefits as a widow, you will need your birth certificate for proof of citizenship.
- Your marriage or divorce certificate for proof of relationship, and your spouse’s death certificate. After submission of your application.
- Your case is transferred to the state’s Disability Determination Services (DDS) for further evaluation.
The DDS are state agencies funded by the U.S. federal government for the purpose of making disability decisions for the SSA.
It can take about 120 days for the state to make a decision on your application. If approved, your case will be transferred back to the SSA for assignment to a regional payment center.
It can take 30 to 60 days at the payment center before you begin receiving payments.
People may become disabled in many different ways and for many different reasons. The outcome is generally the same: people with disabilities often require financial and other means of support.
Disability benefits are paid to people who have a need for financial support.
They need financial support because they can no longer work due to their disability. Those seeking disability compensation benefits must follow a strict and complicated application process to establish entitlement to these benefits. Once entitlement to disability benefits has been granted, they can begin to receive financial support.
Spouses can collect a percentage of a disabled beneficiary’s monthly allowance, but the amount they are entitled to will depend on several factors.
After their spouse’s death, widows can claim some financial support from the Social Security Administration based on their spouse’s benefits.
They may even be entitled to a one-time lump-sum death benefit. To learn more information about disability benefits for you, your spouse, or another family member, please contact Disability Lawyers In Florida.
