| Most of us when we hear the term, social security, | | | | ssi. However, if you've had a friend, acquaintance, or |
| tend to think of the elderly, or get a brief pre-cognitive | | | | family relation who has become sick or injured and, as |
| flash of the days ahead when we, too, will be "older" | | | | a consequence, unable to work, you may be at least a |
| and consigned to alloting portions of our days filling | | | | little familiar with the programs and associate them |
| prescriptions and playing bingo. And so we should. The | | | | with the broader safety net operated by the social |
| U.S. social security program, drafted by the Roosevelt | | | | security administration.The title II and title 16 disability |
| administration and passed by congress as the social | | | | programs administered by the federal government |
| security act of 1935, was originally known as the old | | | | allow individuals who are unable to work the same |
| age pension act.Brought into existence at a time when | | | | dignity as retirement-age workers. However, unlike the |
| the American people were still in the throes of the | | | | federal government's "old age pension", qualifying for |
| great depression, the social security act provided | | | | disability benefits requires more than simply calling the |
| retirement benefits to elderly individuals who might | | | | local social security office (for information on filing for |
| otherwise have been forced to rely on the generosity | | | | disability benefits, this faq may be helpful: Answers to |
| and stability of their immediate and extended family | | | | disability program questions.To receive disability |
| members. It was, essentially, an expression of the | | | | benefits, an individual's medical condition must be |
| belief that the country's retirement-age workers should | | | | evaluated to determine whether or not their condition is |
| not be left to completely fend for themselves. It was, | | | | truly disabling, and also to determine whether or not |
| likewise, a reflection of our then-President, Franklin | | | | their condition will last a minimal length of time. To this |
| Delano Roosevelt, that the American nation was a | | | | end, the social security administration has established a |
| single entity, bound in both sincerity as well as obligation, | | | | multi-component system to accomodate disability |
| to deliver a minimal level of equity to all its citizens.The | | | | applicants.How does this system work? In many |
| social security act provided a safety net for the | | | | respects, the system is overly complicated, but it |
| elderly. And, today, despite decades-long discussions | | | | essentially works as follows: an individual who cannnot |
| of potential insolvency, it continues to provide this same | | | | or who can no longer work simply calls their local |
| net. However, it also does quite a bit more. Today, | | | | social security office, informing them of the desire to |
| social security covers more than just retirement | | | | pursue disability benefits. Once this request has been |
| benefits for individual workers. It allows widows to | | | | made, an appointment is made for the purpose of |
| receive benefits based on the earnings records of | | | | conducting an interview and application. Once an |
| deceased spouses and provides survivors benefits for | | | | application has been taken, it is sent to a a state-level |
| the minor children of deceased parents. And, last but | | | | agency that specializes in making decisions on such |
| not least, it provides disability benefits.After the initial | | | | claims. At this agency, a person's medical records will |
| passage of the social security act of 1935, the act | | | | both be gathered and evaluated. And after the |
| was later amended to include provisions for providing | | | | necessary analysis has been conducted, provided that |
| benefits to injured and sick workers, based on their | | | | a person meets the social security administration's |
| disability status. Such benefits were covered under title | | | | standards of eligibility, their claim will be approved and |
| II of the social security act. However, to provide equal | | | | they can then look forward to receiving benefits.Is the |
| and fair consideration to individuals whose condition | | | | system always this cut and dry? Unfortunately, in |
| was such that they were never able to work, or | | | | many cases, it is not. And, considering how many |
| whose condition made it impossible to work long | | | | bureaucratic institutions, including government programs, |
| enough to become insured for title II benefits, title 16 | | | | are run, this is not to be unexpected. Yet, despite this, |
| benefits were also established. Today, typically, we | | | | the title II and title 16 sections of the social security act |
| simply refer to title II benefits as social security disability | | | | provide help and needed resources for literally millions |
| and title 16 benefits as SSI, or supplemental security | | | | of American citizens who are either unable to work or |
| income.Chances are, if you are younger than thirty, | | | | whose condition, starting from an early point in their life, |
| you've never heard of either social security disability or | | | | made it quite impossible to ever seek work. |