Social Secuity Online, January 1998

You should, if you want to know more about the various kinds of disability benefits available from Social Security. This booklet will tell you who is eligible, how to apply, and what you need to know once benefits start.

We pay disability benefits under two programs: the Social Security disability insurance program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The medical requirements for disability payments are the same under both programs and a person's disability is determined by the same process. While eligibility for Social Security disability is based on prior work under Social Security, SSI disability payments are made on the basis of financial need. And there are other differences in the eligibility rules for the two programs. This booklet deals primarily with the Social Security disability program. For information on SSI disability payments, ask at any Social Security office for the booklet, SSI (Publication No.05-11000).

Please Note: This booklet provides a general overview of the Social Security disability program. The information it contains is not intended to cover all provisions of the law. For specific information about your case, contact Social Security.

NOTE: MMWR's are in Portable Document Format (PDF) to retain the original format. To view or print these documents, you must use the Adobe Acrobat viewer. Acrobat is free and available directly from Adobe's website with full installation instructions.

For the full text, click here.
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