What Is Social Security Disability?

• The Social Security disability program is administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is not funded with money from Social Security taxes. Instead, the money comes from general tax revenues. When you become permanently disabled or disabled for the long-term, you can start to receive benefits from this program. You can get a payment every single month, based on how much money you made before you became disabled and unable to continue working in a job.
  
  

Previous Work

• Before you can start to receive benefits, you have to apply for them with the Social Security Administration. To receive benefits from the Social Security Disability program, the program will check to make sure that you worked in a job that was covered by Social Security. You must have worked long enough to accumulate credits towards the Social Security system. If you did not work previously, you cannot qualify for benefits through this program.
  
  

Determining Disability

• When you apply for benefits with the Social Security disability program, the Social Security Administration will also have to determine if you are disabled according to its definition. This means that your disability will keep you out of work for at least one year. The Social Security Administration will also review your application and medical information to make sure that your condition is included in a list of potential disabilities that qualify for benefits.
  
  

Working

• When the Social Security Administration looks at your application for disability benefits, it also looks at whether you are still working. If you are still working in your current job, your application for benefits will most likely be denied. If you are not working in your current job, the Social Security Administration will try to determine if you could potentially do some other job. In that case, you could receive partial benefits while you are working in another job.