This summer, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued a warning for seniors with dementia and their loved ones to watch out for scams that may target them. These scam artists recognize the vulnerability of people with dementia, and may take advantage of them by trying to steal their money or Social Security benefits. By taking certain precautions, you can help protect your loved ones from fraud and other forms of financial exploitation, keeping their money for themselves. Continue reading “SSA Issues Scam Warning For Seniors With Dementia”
Tag: social security
Five Things You Need to Know About SSDI Work Credits
If you want to apply for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), you need to make sure you need to have a sufficient amount of work credits to qualify. However, not everyone understands what work credits are, or how you know if you have enough. That is why you should make sure you know these five things about work credits before you apply for SSDI benefits:
- The number of work credits you need may vary based on age
- For anyone 31 years old or older, you need to have 40 credits to be able to access SSDI benefits, 20 of which need to have been earned in the last ten years before you applied for disability benefits. However, people between the ages of 24 and 30 can qualify by having enough credits for half the time between when you turned 21 and when you applied for disability benefits. People under the age of 24 can qualify for SSDI with just six credits in the three years before they applied for disability benefits.
- You earn work credits by working and paying taxes
- The way you earn work credits is by earning money via employment or self-employment, which you then pay Social Security taxes on. This means you must either be working as an employee or an independent contractor, or you must be paid income through your own business. The amount of credits you earn is dependent on how much money you make, although most people with regular employment will easily make the maximum number of credits they can earn per year.
- You can earn up to four work credits per year
- You can earn four credits per year, one per financial quarter. As of 2023, one work credit represents $1,640 in covered earnings per financial quarter, or $6,560 for the year. This means that if you earned $6,560 or more for the year, you will get the full four credits for the purposes of qualifying for SSDI.
- You can earn all of your work credits for a year all at once
- That being said, you do not need to be paid that income evenly throughout the year. So long as you make the necessary amount during the year, it will count towards the work credits you receive. For example, if you are unemployed for three of the four fiscal quarters, but receive $7,000 in income for the last fiscal quarter of the year, you will still get the benefit of all four credits.
- Even if you don’t have enough work credits, you may have other options
- If you do not have a sufficient number of work credits, that does not mean you cannot get access to disability benefits. For example, you may be still eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, to know what may work for you, the best thing you can do is speak to a lawyer with experience handling disability benefits claims, who can help you through the process.
If you or a loved one need assistance applying for SSDI or SSI benefits, it is important that you seek the guidance of an experienced Social Security Disability benefits lawyer. The lawyers at Sullivan & Kehoe, LLP have over 50 years of combined experience between its attorneys and are available to you or your loved one in obtaining Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits. To schedule a consultation with our New York Social Security Disability benefits lawyers, call (631) 823-7155.
Economists Predict Drop in COLA to 3.1% Next Year
In 2023, recipients of Social Security benefits, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) saw a record Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of 8.7%. This was the largest increase in the COLA since 1981, a significant increase in the amount of money they received. However, economists are forecasting a much more modest increase of 3.1% this year, as economic conditions begin to settle.
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Five Things to Do to Prepare For Your DDS Interview
If you successfully get through the first steps of your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you will likely be asked to visit Disability Determination Services (DDS). There, you will be subjected to an interview and medical examination to determine if your condition qualifies you for disability benefits. Here are five things you should do to prepare for your DDS exam:
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Five Reasons to Get Legal Assistance For Your SSDI/SSI Application
When people try to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), often they will try to fill out their applications on their own. They may believe that getting legal assistance with their applications is unnecessary, an extra expense on top of everything else they need to fill out their application. However, there are many reasons you may want to get legal assistance with your SSDI or SSI application:
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Five Questions to Avoid Social Security Disability Denial
If you are looking to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you will need to make sure you have everything you need to qualify. However, not everyone knows what they will need, or what might cause them to have their application denied. Here are five questions you should ask yourself to avoid a Social Security disability denial:
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Who is Eligible for SSDI Benefits?
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a program that helps millions of disabled Americans support themselves, but millions more apply for those benefits every year and fail to get them. Often, these people fail because they are not actually eligible for SSDI benefits and do not realize it. So what do you need in order to be eligible for SSDI benefits, and what can you do if you are not eligible?
Why Was Your Application For SSDI/SSI Denied?
Every year, millions of people apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, but more than half of these applications are denied. Understanding how and why an SSDI or SSI application is denied is essential to ensuring your own application has the best chance possible of being accepted. Here are five of the most common reasons that people’s applications for SSDI or SSI benefits are denied:
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Social Security COLA Set to Be Nearly 9% in 2023
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits will be nearly 9% in 2023, the largest increase in Social Security benefits in 40 years. This even outpaces the 2022 COLA adjustment of 5.9%, which had been itself record-breaking at the time. Unfortunately, this adjustment is a reflection of rising prices that have made things more difficult for Social Security beneficiaries in the past year.
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Can a Psychological Disorder Qualify You For SSDI/SSI?
When people think about applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), they often think in terms of physical illnesses or injuries. However, there are plenty of people who suffer from psychological problems without an accompanying physical disability that can still benefit from SSDI or SSI. But can a psychological disorder alone really qualify you for Social Security disability benefits?
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