|  | Healthcare Industry | Healthcare Management

SSDI Family Benefits

Social Security Disability Insurance, also known as SSDI, is a federal insurance program created by the government to provide income to people incapable of working due to a disability. It is funded by payroll taxes and is supervised by the Social Security Administration. SSDI is available to people who are eligible until their health improves and they are able to return to work. SSDI is also available to individuals with permanent disabilities who qualify.

  1. Recipient Qualifications

    • Applicants for SSDI go through a lengthy application process in which they must prove the validity of their disability in order to receive benefits. Medical records are required as evidence of the applicant's inability to work due to his condition. A few other factors that come into play concerning the determination of his eligibility for benefits are the longevity and severity of his condition, his age in regard to work credits earned per age range and the amount of time he spent working before the onset of his condition. Those who become disabled before or at the age of 22 may be able to collect on their parents' work credits and have the work requirement for themselves waived.

    Family Qualifications

    • Certain family members of eligible recipients of SSDI may be able to receive benefits under certain conditions. First, if the family member is the recipient's spouse and she is 62 years old or older, she may qualify. Spouses of any age, if she is the primary caregiver of the recipient's child who is under 16 years old or disabled, may qualify. Adopted children, and in certain circumstances a stepchild or grandchild, may qualify if the child is under 18 or 19 years old and is attending elementary or secondary school full time.

    Divorced Spouse Benefits

    • In certain circumstances, even a divorced spouse could be eligible for benefits based upon the recipient's earnings if she was married to the recipient for at least 10 years, is currently single and is at least 62 years old. Money paid out to the divorced spouse does not affect money paid out to the recipient, his current spouse or his children.

    COBRA Health Benefits

    • SSDI benefits are calculated according the recipient's age and earning record (for all the years that the recipient worked), which allows yearly increases in accordance with the adjusted cost of living. As of 2009, SSDI will give recipients an 11-month extension on their COBRA health insurance from their jobs in addition to the mandatory 18-month coverage period for workers and their families once employees have left their jobs. So through SSDI, recipients in total can receive 29 months of health coverage for themselves and their families through their added extension.

    Conclusion

    • Family benefits are based upon the the SSDI recipient's work record. Typically eligible family members can receive a monthly benefit of up to 50 percent of the recipient's disability rate amount. Yet the number of family members that qualify for benefits based upon the recipient's benefit rate can limit or reduce the amount of money paid out to family members on the recipient's social security benefits record. The monthly amount each family can receive will be reduced if the number of eligible family members as a whole is greater than the benefit amount payable on the recipient's social security account.

Healthcare Management - Related Articles