FAQs

The Congress of the United States defines a disability as, “the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.”A person must not only be unable to do his or her previous work but must also be unable to engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy. Social Security will not consider whether such work exists in the immediate area, whether a specific job vacancy exists, or whether the worker would be hired if he or she applied for work. The worker’s impairment or impairments must be the primary reason for his or her inability to engage in substantial gainful activity although age, education, and work experience are also taken into consideration.

The differences between SSDI and SSI is confusing to many people because both programs are managed by the Social Security Administration.Eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is based on prior work under Social Security.

Eligibility for SSI disability benefit payments is based on financial need.

There are other differences in the eligibility rules for the two programs, however the major distinction is that Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are available for individuals who have worked and paid in to Social Security in recent years and are now disabled.

Yes, you may be able to receive SSI and Social Security benefits if your Social Security benefit amount is low.The amount of your SSI benefit sometimes depends upon where you live, however, the basic SSI check is the same nationwide. For 2017, the maximum SSI payment for an eligible individual is $735 per month and $1,103 per month for an eligible couple.

Yes, however the percentage of applications denied varies from state to state. 3

Before you sign anything, we encourage individuals to call us for a FREE consultation at 1-800-466-0606. Depending on your situation we may be able to complete the forms and file your application online with SSA.

The Social Security Administration does not require that you be represented, but it is to your advantage to consult a representative about your specific situation as early as possible. Many of SSA’s questionnaires may seem simple and straight forward, but an experienced representative can help you avoid making simple mistakes that can affect the outcome of your claim. You are more likely to be approved when an experienced representative is involved with your claim.

Time varies based on the stage of processing, your geographical area and the individual characteristics of your case. We know how important it is for you to start receiving benefits. BTS Group Inc. does everything we can to win your case as early as possible.

BTS Group, Inc. services cost you nothing unless we win your case and you are awarded retroactive benefits. The fees paid to BTS Group, Inc. are approved by Social Security. We charge a percentage of your retroactive benefits. As a rule your fee is 25 percent of your retroactive benefits, not to exceed $6,000 for you and any eligible dependents. The only additional charge will be for expenses we incur in obtaining medical evidence, providing we win your case.

The amount of disability benefit you are eligible to receive is determined by the Social Security Administration using a very involved formula that is impacted by your covered earnings, your age, and the date you became disabled.You can obtain an estimate of your SSDI benefit directly from Social Security by completing form SSA-7004 (Request for Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement). We have provided a link to the Social Security site for this purpose. You will be allowed to send an online request or you can choose to download the form needed to request this information and mail it in to the Social Security Administration. Please follow the directions given or call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 if you have questions regarding obtaining your Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement.

Request for Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement

State by State Statistics

The above links will direct you to information provided by the official Social Security Administration web site.

If you become entitled to SSDI, Social Security will automatically enroll you in Medicare after you get Social Security disability benefits for two years. The 24 month waiting period begins the month you are entitled to receive disability benefits, rather than the month when you actually received your first check.

You must have a disability that is expected to prevent you from being able to work for a 12 month period of time. If your condition improves and you are able to return to substantial gainful activity (SGA), you would no longer be eligible for benefits. However if you return to work in spite of your disabling condition, notify SSA immediately. You may qualify to continue receiving benefits even though you are working. Only Social Security can advise you regarding your eligibility to a trial work period.Click here to better understand “Trial Work Period” and “SGA” guidelines.

The above link gives information on Trial Work Periods and SGA from the official Social Security Administration web

There is help for some low-income Medicare Beneficiaries. If you cannot afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other costs, you may be able to get help from your state. You may qualify for a Medicare assistance program as a “Qualified Medicare Beneficiary” (QMB), “Specified Low–Income Medicare Beneficiary” (SLMB) or “Qualifying Individual (QI).”These programs are for certain people who are entitled to Medicare and have low income. They may pay some or all of Medicare’s premiums and may also pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.

To qualify, you must have Part A (hospital insurance)and Part B, a limited income, and your resources (such as bank accounts, stocks, bonds,etc.) must not exceed the maximum resource limit.

Only your state can decide if you qualify for help under one of these programs. To find out if you qualify, contact your state or local medical assistance (Medicaid) agency, social service or welfare office.

You can get more detailed information about these programs from the publication “Medicare Savings for Qualified Beneficiaries”. You can call 1-800-772-1213 to request this publication.

You can receive Social Security disability benefits until age 65(retirement age). When you reach age 65, your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount remains the same.Therefore, after the age of 65, you can not draw additional benefits due to disability.

You can reach Social Security by dialing: 1-800-772-1213Or to find your local office and their location click on the link below.

Click here to find your nearest Social Security office.

The above link will direct you to information provided by the official Social Security Administration web site.

Depending on your medical condition, you could be entitled to a trial work period while receiving the full monthly social security disability benefit you are entitled to. Contact Social Security if you have or are thinking about returning to work. There are incentives designed to help individuals return to work while continuing to receive benefits for a period of time. Only Social Security can advise you if you meet work incentive requirements.If you are receiving SSI benefits, your wages may reduce your benefit since SSI has income guidelines that effect the amount of benefit you are allowed to receive.

For more information about returning to work, click here.

The above link will direct you to information provided by the official Social Security Administrative web site.

To qualify for SSDI you must meet the definition of disability. You must also have worked long enough and recently enough under Social Security to have the required work credits. The number of credits you need depends on your age and when you became disabled.Generally you need 20 credits earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you became disabled. You can earn a maximum of four work credits per year. However younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

SSI is a Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes).To qualify for SSI you must meet the definition of disability, blindness, or be 65 or older. In addition, you must also meet income and resource guidelines.

While the reality is that many employers do not want to risk hiring someone with significant health problems, the Social Security disability program does not consider this in their evaluation. They do not consider if other jobs pay less than you are accustomed to or if they are jobs you would not want to perform. For individuals younger than age 50, the Social Security Administration only considers whether you are physically and/or mentally capable of performing substantial gainful activity at any type of work that exists in the national economy.

For individuals over age 50, there are different rules, i.e., you may qualify if you are unable to do past work and do not have transferable skills to perform other work.

Social Security has very specific guidelines to determine eligibility. They do not accept general statements such as “This patient is disabled”. Their response is that the decision of disability is reserved for the Commissioner of the SSA.Eliciting the right information from your doctor is often critical for a successful outcome, i.e., winning your claim. That is why it is so important to work with a representative who is familiar with the specific information required for this program.

Different guidelines are used to determine children’s claims. It is to your advantage to gather the information you need from a representative who can address the specific problems relating to those cases. BTS Group, Inc. does not specialize in representing children’s claims.However we can help you find a representative to assist with your questions regarding these needs.

To find assistance for your child’s claim, please contact the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives at 1-800-431-2804.