SSD law in Missouri is made up of a number of rules and regulations that are used by the Social Security Administration during their evaluation of applications for SSDI and SSI disability. The laws are also used to determine the benefits as well as the amount of monthly payment that is applicable. SSD law in Missouri is Federal laws and statutes, and although the applications for benefits are made on a state level, it is Federal laws that apply.
Social Security Disability Insurance provides benefits to adults who are disabled and cannot hold a full time paid job. The applicant must also have been suffering from the disability for 12 months minimum or is expected to last at least a year or eventually result in death. To be awarded SSDI benefits the applicant must have paid into the system through payroll taxes and not yet reached the age of retirement. SSI on the other hand is a program that serves as somewhat different purpose; it is designed to give a stipend to low wage earners, those who are blind or children not yet of age. SSI is available whether the applicant has ever paid into the system or not.
The requirements necessary to claim benefits:
Under SSD law in Missouri an applicant for either SSDI or SSI must meet very specific requirements to be considered for benefits. If the disabled individual is applying for SSDI he or she must have earned enough work credits prior to becoming disabled. Work credits are all based on the earnings of the applicant; it takes over $1,100 in earnings to earn one work credit. No more than four work credits can be earned in any given year. To be eligible for disability benefits the applicant must have accumulated a minimum of 40 work credits, 20 of which must have been earned during the 10 years prior to the date of the application.
SSI on the other hand is available to even those who have never worked; eligibility is based on income, not work credits. Any applicant for SSI must be a low wage earner with an income below what is known as the FBR; Federal benefit rate which currently stands at just over $700 per month.
When applying for either SSDI or SSI the law demands that you provide a great deal of personal information, a lot of which has to do with the medical condition of the applicant and his or her work history. A complete dossier of all doctors’ reports, hospital stays, medications and lab results are extremely important if one wishes to be approved for benefits.
SSD law in Missouri is very complex; very few laypeople could comprehend it. Although the Social Security Administration publish multiple handbooks on what disabilities apply and how to apply for benefits most people opt to employ an attorney with experience in dealing with Social Security. Go to the Grundy Disability Group’s website.
