Social Security Benefits In Florida

Do You Need Government Benefits

Social Security benefits increasing in 2022

You can receive benefits from the federal government through the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration has two programs that can help you:

Supplemental Security Income

These benefits are for people who are blind, elderly and people with disabilities who have limited income and resources. To receive Supplemental Security Income, you need to be able to prove that you have a disability and that you have limited income. In order for you to receive Supplemental Security Income, the things that you own cannot be worth more than $2,000. If Supplemental Security Income is right for you, you will receive money each month. .

Social Security Disability Insurance

These benefits are for people who have stopped working or cannot work because of a disability. To receive Social Security Disability Insurance, you need to prove that you have a disability and that you have a history of working or that you cannot work anymore because of your disability. Social Security Disability Insurance does not have a resource limit, but does have a set maximum amount of money that you can make per month. You may be able to receive Social Security Disability Insurance if you or a family member have worked long enough and paid taxes. .

Health Care

Medicaid: This program allows you to see a doctor and get the medicine that you need if you have limited income.

Information You Need To Apply

Before applying, be ready to provide information about yourself, your medical condition, and your work. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.

Information About You

Your date and place of birth and Social Security number.
The name, Social Security number, and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse. You should also know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death .
Names and dates of birth of children not yet 18 years of age.
Your bank or other and the account number.

Information About Your Medical Condition

Name, address, and phone number of someone we can contact who knows about your medical conditions and can help with your application.
Detailed information about your medical illnesses, injuries, or conditions:
Names, addresses, phone numbers, patient ID numbers, and dates of treatment for all doctors, hospitals, and clinics.
Names of medicines, the amount you are taking, and who prescribed them.
Names and dates of medical tests you have had and who ordered them.

Information About Your Work:

Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements, or other .

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns, and medical documents, but we must see the originals of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.

Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. We will help you get them.

Benefits Continue Despite Certain Changes

If a person is entitled to Social Security spousal benefits based on his or her ex-spouses work record, that person will continue to receive those benefits despite certain changes. Even if the ex-spouse remarries and even if the new spouse becomes eligible for his or her own spousal benefits the person will still receive the same spousal benefit as if they were married.

Get to know us: Claudia Blackwell, Esq.

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How Much Will My Disability Benefits Be

If you qualify for SSDI benefits, the amount will be determined based on how much you paid into the Social Security system during your working years. The SSA offers an online calculator to help you determine what your SSDI benefits would be. SSDI benefits are paid via direct deposit into your checking or savings account on a monthly basis.

If you qualify for SSI benefits, the amount you receive will be based on the maximum federal Supplemental Security Income payment amounts that are set each year. For 2017, those amounts are $735 for an individual and $1,103 for a couple per month. SSI benefits are also paid through direct deposit.

In addition to disability benefits, SSDI recipients may qualify for Medicare benefits, and SSI recipients may qualify for Medicaid.

Timing Ssr For Florida Retirement Planning

States That Tax Social Security Benefits

As important as SSR is, the program is often misunderstood and confused with similar programs. Along with SSR, the SSA also manages Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income . SSDI is a disability program, which like SSR, is funded through FICA taxes and requires prior employment to qualify. SSI is a means-tested income-replacement program that aids the elderly, blind, or disabled and is funded through general tax revenue. In this article, though, were focusing on SSR and how the retirement benefits provided under the program can affect retirement planning.

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I Am Considering Retirement But Do Want To Work What Should I Do First

As you begin to see, this is an intricate and complex issue, but you want to make sure you get all that you worked for and deserve. Your singular financial information needs to be discussed before you make this vital decision. The Tampa law firm of Carlson, Meissner, Hart & Hayslett will professionally review all the particulars of your situation and case. By doing so, they will aggressively, and effectively, pursue the Social Security benefits that you so rightfully deserve. Consult with them first and secure your well-earned retirement benefits.

Have Questions Or Need Help Applying For Ssi In Florida

Have questions about how to qualify for SSI in Florida, or need help applying? If you feel youre eligible to receive Florida SSI benefits, it helps to have an experienced disability advocate at your side. The team at Disability Experts of Florida can assist you in filling out all the necessary paperwork, obtaining your medical records, cutting through government red tape, and even represent you should you need to have a hearing before an ALJ. Contact us today to receive the support, and the benefits, that you deserve.

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Social Security And Medicare

The following information can help you with your Social Security or Medicare benefits. My office stands ready to assist you with any problems or questions you may have. You can send an email here or call my office in Boca Raton at 998-9045.My office can also help you with determining Social Security benefits, as well as Supplemental Security Income and Medicare eligibility.

Do you want to know if you qualify for disability and SSI? Use Social Security’s Screening Tool to check if you do.
Do you need information on how to apply for Medicare? Go to the Medicare Frequently Asked Questions page.
Do you have other general questions about social security services and benefits? Find an answer on the Social Security Administration’s Frequently Asked Questions page.

How Do I Know If I Qualify For Social Security Disability Insurance

To be eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance , you must:

Have a qualifying disability
Have worked long enough and paid into the Social Security program

Our knowledgeable Florida Social Security Disability lawyers will review the SSDI eligibility requirements with you and assess your situation to determine how you should proceed. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

Work Can Affect Benefits

If you work, whatever your age, it is important to report your earnings to SSA. Earnings can affect the amount of an SSI benefit, and can even affect eligibility for SSI or SSDI. If SSA later finds that you were paid too much, or are no longer considered disabled because of work activity, you could be asked to repay the amount that you were overpaid by SSA.

Remember, if you are working, there are many Social Security Work Incentives that can be used to offset your earnings. When reporting income, it is important to also report any work incentives that you would like for SSA to consider, to reduce a portion of your countable earnings. See the Social Security “Red Book” for information on work incentives.

If a finding is made that the person is considered no longer disabled, SSA is required to send written notice of the decision, including all appeal rights. In order to continue the SSI or SSDI benefits during an appeals process, the appeal must be requested within 10 days of the notice of discontinuance.

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Getting A Social Security Number For A New Baby

The easiest way to get a Social Security number for your child is at the hospital after they are born when you apply for your childs birth certificate. If you wait to apply for a number at a Social Security office, there may be delays while SSA verifies your childs birth certificate.

Your child will need their own Social Security number so you can:

Claim your child as a dependent on your income tax return
Open a bank account in their name
Get medical coverage for them
Apply for government services for them

How To Stop Social Security Check Payments

The SSA can not pay benefits for the month of a recipients death. That means if the person died in July, the check received in August must be returned. Find out how to return a check to the SSA.

If the payment is by direct deposit, notify the financial institution as soon as possible so it can return any payments received after death. For more about the requirement to return benefits for the month of a beneficiarys death, see the top of page 11 of this SSA publication.

Family members may be eligible for Social Security survivors benefits when a person getting benefits dies. Visit the SSA’s Survivors Benefits page to learn more.

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Social Security And Medical Benefits

SSI beneficiaries automatically receive Medicaid benefits.

Be aware however that there are many special Medicaid and Medicaid waiver programs in Florida that do not require a person to be eligible for SSI. For more information, see the Florida Medicaid Summary of Services .

SSDI beneficiaries qualify for Medicare benefits following a two year waiting period after first receiving SSDI. There are limited circumstances under which SSDI beneficiaries may qualify for Medicare without the two year waiting period.

Some individuals may be dually eligible for SSI and SSDI, and therefore for Medicaid and Medicare. Some individuals who receive SSDI only, may nevertheless be eligible to have Medicaid pay their Medicare premiums, and in some cases, their copays.

Some individuals, who received SSI benefits as a minor, become SSDI beneficiaries based on the work record of a parent or grandparent who is deceased, disabled or retired. As long as the persons SSDI benefits are based on the work record of the parent or grandparent, and not on their own work record, the individual should maintain their eligibility for Medicaid. This is called Protected Medicaid.

Social Security Matters: Surviving Spouse Benefits Explained

Dear Rusty: If I file at age 63 what percentage does my wife receive if I die? Does this percentage change if I wait to file closer to my full retirement age? And what does my wife receive if I die before I file for my benefits? Signed: Planning Ahead

Dear Planning: When you file for your own Social Security benefit will affect the survivor benefit your wife is entitled to as your widow. If you claim at age 63, her benefit as your widow will be based on your age 63 amount. If you wait longer to claim your own Social Security, your own benefit will be higher and so will your wifes entitlement as your survivor. In other words, your wifes benefit as your widow will be based on the amount you are receiving when you die, and the longer you wait to claim your own Social Security, the higher your wifes survivor entitlement will be.

Exactly how much your wife will get monthly as your widow depends also on her own age when she claims her survivor benefit. If you were to die first, your wife can claim a reduced survivor benefit as early as age 60 but doing so will result in a benefit which is 28.5% lower than it would be if she waits until her own full retirement age to claim. Survivor benefits do not reach maximum until the survivor reaches full retirement age and, if claimed before that, the benefit will be reduced by 4.75% for each full year early, to a maximum reduction of 28.5%.

How To Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits

Applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be done online. To use the online application, you must be at least 18 years of age, not currently be receiving SSDI benefits on your own work record, and not have an application that was denied in the past 60 days. If your claim has been recently denied, you can file for an appeal online.

When you are ready to apply, start by gathering the following information:

How To Qualify For Ssdi In Florida

Social Security Disability Benefits For Veterans

Since SSDI is a federal program, all applicants must meet federal requirements for eligibility.

First, an applicant must meet non-medical eligibility criteria, which entails the person having worked a sufficient time to accrue an appropriate level of work credits through the SSA.

An applicant typically must have earned 40 credits to be SSDI eligible, 20 of which were earned during the most recent 10 years. You must also show a documented disabling condition that meets the SSAs strict definition of total disability.

The SSA generally awards compensation benefits to those whose medical conditions prohibit them from working for at least one year, or whose conditions are terminal.

The Latest Inflation Figures Suggest A Huge Cost Of Living Adjustment Increase For 2023 Even Compared To Last Years Record

Earlier in September, the the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased slightly by 0.1 percent in August. Combined, the last two months of price increases show a 8.3 percent increase in average prices in August compared to August last year.

That is why the cost of living adjustment is so important. Around the beginning of winter, the Social Security Adminsitration announces the rate in which people receiving benefits payments will increase for the next year, mostly in line with inflation. The higher the inflation, the higher the rate at which benefits rise.

Last year, it was announced that the COLA rise would be 5.9 percent. This was done at a time when annual inflation stood at 6.2 percent, so was slightly behind. Now, with inflation at 8.3 percent, the same increase would be well short of what is necessary. That is why lobbyists for seniors are pushing for the increase to be much greater.

The Senior Citizens League believes the new COLA will be around 8.7 percent. This would be the largest in four decades

A COLA of 8.7 percent is extremely rare and would be the highest ever received by most Social Security beneficiaries alive today, said Mary Johnson, the Senior Citizens Leagues Social Security and Medicare policy analyst. There were only three other times since the start of automatic adjustments that it was higher .

How Can I Apply For Benefits

You can apply for benefits in three different ways, depending on whether you are applying for SSI or SSDI.

Online. You can apply online for SSDI at www.ssa.gov/pgm/disability.htm. When you apply, you will need as much of your personal information as possible, such as your Social Security number, previous addresses, and information about any past marriages. You will also need information about your disability, doctors you have seen, and the treatment you’ve had.

In person. You can apply for benefits at your local field office . Applying in person at your local field office can be helpful if you need assistance reading and understanding the application. To find your local field office, visit the SSA’s website and enter your zip code into the locator. Make sure to call ahead to see if you need to make an appointment. You can call the SSA at 800-772-1213.

If you live too far from your field office or if travel is difficult, it may be easier to apply by telephone. You can do this by calling 800-772-1213. You will need to provide the SSA with your Social Security number to begin the application process. If you are deaf or hearing impaired, call 800-325-0778 for help with your application.

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Applying For Social Security In Florida

How do I apply for Social Security Benefits in Florida?

Social Security Benefits are administered by the Federal government, and are available to citizens of all states including Florida. There are 17 government social security benefits that you may apply for as a resident of Florida.

These benefits are paid to the disabled surviving divorced spouse of a worker who had earned enough Social Security credits.In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be divorced from a deceased spouse and meet the following requirem…

These benefits are paid to the disabled widow or widower of a deceased worker who had earned enough Social Security credits.In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must meet the following requirements:Be at least age 50, but not …

A surviving spouse or child may receive a special lump-sum death payment of $255 if they meet certain requirements.Generally, the lump-sum is paid to the surviving spouse who was living in the same household with the worker when he or she died. I…

These are benefits paid to the dependent parent of a deceased worker who had earned enough Social Security credits.To qualify for this benefit program, you must meet all of the following requirements:Be at least age 62Have not married …