| Have you acquired a recent medical condition that | | | | quarters payment. |
| deteriorated and incapacitated you for at least 12 | | | | If you become disabled, you'd have to prove it |
| months? Have you obtained injuries through an | | | | happened while your disability insurance coverage is in |
| unexpected incident which caused you disability and/or | | | | force. If you fail to do this, you will not be entitled to |
| disfigurement causing you to lose ability to work? | | | | SSDI or disability insurance benefits. It would not even |
| If you plan to file a claim for your disability insurance, | | | | matter if your medical condition was very grave. |
| under the Social Security disability benefits program, | | | | Thus, if you acquired a disabling condition that you feel |
| you have to know about several important | | | | will last for 12 months, at the very least, it is advisable |
| terminologies concerning such program. | | | | not to delay applying for such benefits once you lose |
| Disabled worker - as an individual working for a living, | | | | the capacity to work. |
| your social security taxes (FICA are being withheld | | | | Dependent children - if you become disabled and |
| through your paycheck, as other state and federal | | | | become eligible for SSDI benefits, your child or children |
| taxes are being withheld. | | | | under 18 years old will become entitled to receive |
| Once you have accomplished payment on certain | | | | some benefits too. However, they will not be given a |
| Social Security tax amount over a specific period, then | | | | Medicare card. |
| you become eligible for Social Security Disability | | | | Disabled Widower/Widow Benefits (DWB) - certain |
| Insurance (SSDI) Benefits. If you are over 30 year old, | | | | widowers and widows can avail of a special kind of |
| you can be insured for the SSDI benefits if you paid | | | | disability insurance benefits based on the FICA paid by |
| FICA for 20 calendar quarters at the very least, | | | | his/her deceased spouse. |
| provided that this period is during the 40 calendar | | | | To qualify for this kind of benefit, widow/widower |
| quarters starting immediately before the total disability | | | | must be between 50 and 60 years old and he/she |
| was acquired. | | | | must have been married to the deceased spouse |
| In simpler terms, you must have paid SS taxes or | | | | who was covered by Social Security before the time |
| FICA for at least five years from the last ten years | | | | he/she passed away, for a minimum of 10 years. |
| before you had total disability. | | | | Within seven years of the spouse's death, the |
| The current taxes requirement (as of year 2000) is to | | | | widower/widow must prove that his/her disability is |
| pay on earnings of $780 a quarter for you to earn | | | | severe enough and has met the requirements. An |
| coverage of one quarter. If you are earning and paying | | | | exception to this rule is if he/she is already receiving |
| your taxes on earnings of $3,120 in the past year | | | | other benefits under the Social Security program. |
| 2000, then, their account already credited you with 4 | | | | |