Social Security Disability (SSD) Insurance provides benefits to people who have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. This is much different than Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is based on a person’s financial need.
According to the Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program for 2017, there were 10,059,166 people receiving SSD benefits in December 2017, and 86.4 percent were disabled workers while 11.0 percent were disabled adult children and 2.6 percent were disabled widow(er)s. South Carolina had 200,034 beneficiaries, which included 174,597 disabled workers, 18,919 disabled adult children, and 6,518 disabled widow(er)s.
You have many different ways to apply for SSD benefits, but you should know that many initial claims are denied. It can be hard for people to understand the reasons for their denials and many don’t know how to remedy the issues. Having legal representation will significantly improve your chances of obtaining benefits because a lawyer has usually handled many claims similar to your own and understands how to get around any issues that may arise with the Social Security Administration (SSA).