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How much money can I expect from Social Security?

Benefits under Social Security are proportionate to the number of years worked and the amount of earnings per year. Thus, a person who made $100,000 a year for the previous 20 years may receive over $2,000 a month, whereas an individual who worked off and on for the previous 20 years and never earned more than $12,000 a year might only receive $500 a month.

Social Security benefits can be awarded for 12 months prior to the date the individual applies if he/she was disabled during that 12 month period. For such Social Security benefits there is a five-month waiting period. This means that if an individual becomes disabled on January 1 and Social Security agrees they became disabled on that date, the first check will be in June of that same year. Thus, they receive no money for the first five months of their disability.

Social Security also has a program called Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for individuals who have not worked or worked very little in their career. This pays a maximum of $637 a month (2008 rate). Additionally, minor children may be entitled to retroactive and ongoing monthly benefits.

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Question: How is Social Security disability different from private disability benefits?

Answer: Social Security provides disability insurance to insured workers who are totally disabled. Benefits are not payable for short-term or partial disability. You must be unable to do any work to be considered disabled & your disability must be expected to result in death or last for at least one year.

Alternative public and private disability insurance programs may offer disability benefits for injuries or illnesses over a truncated time period, or for partial disability.

Should someone meet the criteria for both Social Security and other disability benefit programs, that person should be aware of a few facts: First of all, the law states that disability payments from private insurance plans don't affect your Social Security disability benefits. Second, if you receive both Social Security disability benefits & Veterans Administration benefits, your Social Security benefit won't be reduced.

Workers' compensation & other public disability benefits however, may reduce your Social Security benefits. Because workers' compensation is a paid job-related injury or illness; It may be paid by a federal or state workers' compensation agency, an employer or an insurance company on behalf of an employer.

Other public disability payments that may affect your Social Security benefits are those paid by a federal, state or local government for disabling medical conditions that are not job-related.

If you receive workers' compensation or other public disability benefits and Social Security disability benefits, generally the total amount cannot exceed 80 percent of your average current earnings before you became disabled. You may want to contact your private or state disability insurance program for more information about how Social Security could affect those benefits.