Social Security Disability Accounts and Claims
Q: Should I apply for social security disability benefits under my social security account or my deceased spouse’s?
A: For most social security disability applicants, the goal is to get the largest payment possible. Sometimes the largest social security disability payment will come from the survivor’s benefits you receive from a deceased spouse’s account. Other times, the largest payment will come from your own account. In either case, you will need to determine the highest payment, as you cannot apply under both.
The first step when deciding under whose account to request social security disability is to determine which will provide higher payment. It is best to check with the SSA to determine what those payments might be. Depending on your age, level of ability or disability, and your years of work, it is possible to receive higher payments on your own, or via a deceased spouse’s account. In the case that you do choose to claim survivor’s benefits, you will receive your spouse’s full social security disability benefits when you reach retirement, or when you reach the age of 50 and are disabled. If you are not disabled, you can get anywhere from 71 to 99 percent of your spouse’s benefits before you reach retirement, as long as you are 60 years old or older.
Q: I currently get my benefits from social security disability, but I want to switch to social security retirement.
A: In most cases, a person currently receiving social security disability benefits will automatically receive retirement benefits when they reach full retirement age. Most people who get social security disability have to do little or nothing to bring about the transfer. Speak to the SSA or a social security disability lawyer for more information.
Q: Is it true that everybody’s social security disability claim gets denied the first time?
A: You have probably heard comments and complaints from many social security disability applicants that their claims are constantly denied; but in reality, not all first applications are rejected. The Social Security Administration has no policy or regulation stating that all first applicants should be denied. One the other hand, it is also true that first claims are denied quite often, and that the highest success rate with social security disability claims is in appeals, not on first application.
Nationwide, 70% or so of social security disability claimants are denied on their first application. The biggest problem with this is that many who see their claims rejected do not know what to do improve their chances of being approved on the next application. Since most social security disability approvals happen through appeal, it is key to have knowledge of the ins and out of the appeals process. Consult the Social Security Administration or a social security disability expert for more information.