When an individual is incapacitated and cannot work, SSDI can act as a source of income through which the person can meet his or her needs. Of course, like any governmental program there are some negative effects or disadvantages of being a recipient of SSDI benefits.
Limited Income
However, one of the considerable weaknesses of the Social Security disability is the low amount of income that it offers. Social Security Disability Income is determined by the earnings made in the years before you become disabled and the amount paid may be substantially less that what was earned. In 2024, recipients of SSDI get an approximate amount of 1540 USD per month in New York, which can hardly suffice for all the living expenses, particularly in case you have many medical expenses associated with your disability. Besides, SSDI benefits are limited to a maximum amount of the monthly payment that is, $3,822 in 2024. It means that even if the pre-disability earnings of yours were higher than this amount, your benefit will not go beyond this limit. This is more difficult if one lives in a region that has high costs or has a lot of expenses to meet.
Waiting Period
This is another disadvantage associated with getting social security disability, because after applying for the benefit, one has to wait for some time before he can receive the payments. There is a five-month inventory period for the claimant from the time he/she becomes disabled before the SSDI can provide the benefits. It is at this stage that one has to use any little cash he or she has accumulated, any financial assistance from the family, or any other means available to survive. Also, SSDI has a complicated procedure which takes months, or even years to be approved and decided. They may reject your initial application which means that you have to appeal causing the wait time to prolong for yet another period. This delay in receiving benefits may have financial repercussions and also depress you and your family.
Eligibility Requirements
Before you can be considered for SSDI, you have to fulfill certain necessary criteria to find out whether you are eligible for the program. Your disability must be expected to last for at least one year or lead to the death of the individual, and the person must be unable to perform SGA. The minimum Essential Supplementary Grants Allowance during the year 2024 is $1,550 per month for a non- blind person and $2,590 for a blind person. Satisfying these factors might be tough because one’s disability could be inconspicuous or be a condition not clearly recognized by the SSA.
Limited Work Opportunities
As with any situation, there are always its pros and cons, and concerning the disability one of the most considerable disadvantages is the effect on the future employment. Although SSDI can be received with a trial work period and encourages work within your own capacity to promote a smooth transition back to the workforce, reintegration of a beneficiary into any form of employment becomes challenging after some time off. While seeking employment, an employer may not consider the person with a disability due to their disability and because they have not worked for quite a long time. Moreover, if you go back to work and make over the SGA level, you will be disqualified from SSDI altogether. This can completely dissuade a person from looking for a job, considering that SSDI offsets most of the income you used to make to able to sustain yourself.
Stigma and Social Isolation
Just as with most social services, there is still a lot of social prejudice regarding receiving disability benefits. Some people may consider SSDI beneficiaries as ‘just lazy or worthless’ doers, they could not understand the inconveniences of disability. This should lead to the feelings such as shame and guilt and social exclusion. Furthermore, most of the activities that involve social interaction may be limited due to your disability and financial situations resulting from the SSDD income. This may prove detrimental to an individual receiving the disability especially in as much as; such isolation has adverse effects on the mental status and general wellbeing.
Seeking Help and Support
Of course, the process of applying for SSD brings a multitude of troubles, but the thing is, SSDI doesn’t only has its drawbacks, but it also may become the only source of income for anyone during the difficult period of their lives. It is very important to seek some help and advice from a person, who has knowledge of SSDI and the process by which one could apply for it as well as when one has been rejected.
At Stacey Hardin Hibbard PLLC, our professional disability lawyers have been providing legal services to the disabled in New York for more than four decades in SSDI and appeals. They are aware of all the difficulties which can arise and devote themselves to give you a professional counsel. If you would like to know more about Social Security disability’s drawback or if you have any issues with your claim, please give our law office Stacey Hardin Hibbard PLLC a call at 859-681-9111 for a consultation with no charges. They are always with the aim of helping you in realizing your rights and claiming for the rights you are entitled to.
