Social Security Benefits In Texas

Kraft & Associates Pc Can Help You Pursue Ssd Benefits

Bill changing Social Security benefits would impact teachers

Regretfully, many people face obstacles when they apply for SSDI or SSI benefits, and they must appeal a denied application. At Kraft & Associates, P.C., we have helped injured and disabled Texans since 1971. We can work with you to appeal a denied claim and fight for the benefits you deserve. To get started, contact us today and receive a free consultation.

Social Security Is More Than Retirement

Many people think of Social Security as just a retirement program. Most of the people receiving benefits are retired, but others receive benefits because theyre:

A spouse or child of someone getting benefits,
A divorced spouse of someone getting or eligible for Social Security,
A spouse or child of a worker who died,
A divorced spouse of a worker who died, or
A dependent parent of a worker who died.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for Social Security at any age. In fact, Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other government program.

Collateral Consequences Of Warrants Parole And Probation

Since Congress enacted “fugitive felons” and parole/probation violation provisions in 1996, the Social Security Administration has suspended benefits and charged overpayments to individuals receiving SSI on the basis of outstanding warrants.Enforcement of the provisions greatly increased in 2000, as SSA reached agreementswith local law enforcement to match databases.

Individuals who are fleeing to avoid prosecution or incarceration for a felony or violating probation or parole are statutorily prohibited from receiving SSI or Title II Social Security benefits.

The Social Security Administration interpreted the statutes broadly to include individuals whose names were matched against a warrant database. Some individuals lost benefits even though the warrant in question was for a different person. For others, the presence of a warrant did not necessarily mean that an individual was “fleeing,” or that the individual had violated probation or parole.

As a result of two legal cases , the SSA may not suspend benefits based merely on the evidence that a warrant had been issued. Back benefits were owed to hundreds of thousands of recipients.

Don’t Miss: Which State Has The Best Medicare Benefits

Supplemental Security Income Application Process And Applicants’ Rights

CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SSI AND HOW TO APPLY

We strongly recommend you check the eligibility requirements for SSI before you start your application or contact us to make an appointment. If you are unsure you may qualify after reading these requirements, call us at 1-800-772-1213 .

You can apply for SSI benefits by:

Visiting our Apply Online for Disability Benefits website to start the disability application process online. You may be eligible to apply for SSI through the online disability application.

Having someone else call and make the appointment for you or assist you with your application for SSI.

You will have to provide information and work with us to get documents concerning SSI eligibility.

WHEN TO APPLY

Apply as soon as possible so that you do not lose benefits. We cannot pay benefits for time periods earlier than the effective date of your application.

If you call us to make an appointment to apply and you keep your appointment and file an application, we may use the date of your call as your application filing date.

If you do not keep this appointment and you do not contact us to reschedule the appointment, we will try to contact you. If we do not get in touch with you to reschedule the appointment, we will send you a letter. The letter will say that if you file an application within 60 days from the date of the letter, we will use the date of your original contact with us as your SSI application date.

See our SSI Spotlight on Prerelease Procedure.

Additional Assistance For Ssi Recipients In Texas

SSI Benefits For Children With Disabilities

State supplement. Texas does not pay out additional state payments to all SSI recipients in the state, but it does supplement SSI for those receiving institutional care that is paid for by Medicaid. SSI recipients who live in Medicaid-funded nursing homes or intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities can receive a monthly supplement of $60, so long as their countable income is less than $60. The supplement is meant to offset the cost of institutional care.

SSI recipients living in Medicaid facilities only get to keep $30/month of their federal SSI payment. So institutionalized individuals with no countable income who are eligible for the full federal benefit rate of $771 will receive $90/month .

These state supplemental payments are administered by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services . If you live in Texas, you can call 2-1-1 to find an HHS office near you. You can also use the My Texas Benefits site to find the closest office.

Medicaid. All SSI recipients in Texas, regardless of their living situations, are automatically eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid eligibility for SSI recipients in Texas is administered by the Social Security Administration. If you receive SSI, you should automatically be enrolled in Medicaid. If you have not been enrolled, contact your local Social Security office to find out why.

You May Like: Boston Medical Center Employee Benefits

Special Notice To Joint Account Holders

If your account is a joint account and receives direct deposit benefit payments, you must inform the federal agency and the financial institution of the death of the beneficiary. Payments sent by direct deposit after the date of death or ineligibility of a beneficiary must be returned to the federal agency. The federal agency will then determine if the survivor is eligible for benefits.

How Do I Apply For Texas Disability

In Texas, the SSA automatically checks if an applicant qualifies for SSI when they apply for SSDI. That means you dont have to do all the paperwork twice. Though occasionally individuals will qualify for both programs, its more typical to receive one or the other.

To submit a Texas disability application, you may do it one of three ways:

Online through the portal at SSA.gov.
By visiting a local Social Security office. However, this is the SSAs least-preferred method because of closures and limited staff resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fourth option is to retain a Social Security disability lawyer who can file the paperwork for you. All disability attorneys in our network offer contingency-based legal assistance. So until you settle your claim, you pay nothing. And if you do win, you only pay a small, one-time fee deducted from your settlement.

But the amount of stress youll save by having a friend in your corner during this process? Well, thats like Texas big.

Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free online benefits evaluation now!

You May Like: Smart And Final Employee Benefits

Filing For Social Security Disability In Texas

You can file your claim online, over the phone or at one of the Texas SSA offices listed above. For example, those in/near Corpus Christi can file a the Social Security office in Corpus Christi. When you apply, you will need to provide medical documents, W2s, proof of citizenship and more.

A disability attorney who takes cases in Texas can help you apply for benefits. To get connected with a lawyer that takes cases in your area, complete the Free Case Evaluation today.

The Five Steps Of The Sequential Evaluation Process Are:

N. TX veteran struggling to get social security benefits back

Are you engaged in substantial gainful activity? If you work and earn above a certain amount each month in 2018, that amount is $1,970 for statutorily blind individuals and $1,180 for non-blind individuals the SSA will consider you to be engaged in substantial gainful activity and not disabled.

Do you suffer from a severe condition? In other words, does your condition interfere with basic work activities? If it does, your evaluation will move to the next step. If not, then you will not be considered to be disabled.

Do you have a listed impairment? The SSA has a list of impairments that are so severe that, if you suffer from one of those impairments or have a condition that is equal in severity to one, you will be deemed to be disabled. If you do not have a listed or equal impairment, your evaluation will go to the next step.

Can you do your previous work? DDS will conduct what is called a residual functional capacity assessment. First, DDS will want to know if your condition prevents you from doing the work you did before the onset of your condition. If so, DDS will move to the next step. If not, then you will not be deemed to be disabled.

Can you do any other work? Given your age, education, work experience and transferable skills, could you adapt to any other type of work? If not, then you will be considered to be disabled and medically eligible for benefits. However, if you can adjust to different work, you will not be eligible for benefits.

Don’t Miss: State Of Alabama Employee Benefits

Applying For Social Security In Texas

How do I apply for Social Security Benefits in Texas?

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

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 …

Supplemental Security Income For Texans

Disability Benefits

This article contains information on Supplemental Security Income. Specifically, it contains information on how you qualify, how much you can get, how to apply, and more. This article was written by the Legal Hotline for Texans at the Texas Legal Services Center.

Also Check: Free Medicare Benefits Review Commercial

How Can A Person Qualify For Ssdi In Texas

Social Security Disability Insurance is the first Texas disability option available to qualified residents. It is primarily for adults aged 18-65 with long-term impairments or illnesses that prevent them from working.

This program supports disabled individuals who have an extensive prior work history, which the SSA measures in work credits. Typically, applicants need to have worked about one-fourth of their adult lives and five of the last 10 years. Thats generally whats needed to acquire enough work credits for the non-medical qualification part of the application.

To qualify for Texas disability benefits through SSDI, applicants must:

Meet the SSAs federal definition of disability.

Be incapable of working for 12 months or more owing to said long-lasting medical condition.

Show previous work in jobs that deducted Social Security taxes.

The Disability Application Process

Does Your State Tax Social Security Benefits?

Whether you apply online, by phone, or in person, the disability benefits application process follows these general steps:

You gather the information and documents you need to apply. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information and documents you need to complete the application.
You complete and submit your application.
We review your application to make sure you meet our for disability benefits.
We confirm you worked enough years to qualify.
We evaluate any current work activities.
We process your application and forward your case to the Disability Determination Services office in your state.
This state agency makes the disability determination decision.

To learn more about who decides if you have a disability, read our publication .

Once You’ve Applied

Once we receive your application, well review it and contact you if we have questions. We might request additional documents from you before we can proceed.

Look For Our Response

When the state agency makes a determination on your case, youll receive a letter in the mail with our decision. If you included information about other family members when you applied, well let you know if they may be able to receive benefits on your record.

Check The Status

You can check the status of your application online using your personal mySocial Security account. If you are unable to check your status online, you can call us 1-800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How To Apply For Ssdi In Texas

To apply for SSDI in Texas, you can fill out an online application, visit one of 66 Texas SSA field offices for a paper application, or call the SSA to apply over the phone. Take note that it can take several weeks for a determination, and SSDI benefits will not begin until five months after the SSA determines when you first became disabled.

Before you fill out the application, be sure to have your Social Security number, your spouse’s Social Security number, and detailed information about your disability handy. Applicants can download a Disability Starter Kit to learn more about the application process and prepare to complete the application properly.

Get The Care You Need

Senator Cornyns office can offer assistance with federal programs like Medicare or Social Security. In order to help you with these issues, you will have to submit a privacy form located at the bottom of their respective pages. Please click either the Medicare or Social Security link on the left hand side of this page.

If you need assistance with a health care issue, please click the Health Care link on the left side of this page. From that page, you can find detailed information about each of these programs and access the specialized online form you can fill out and submit to Senator Cornyns office.

Also Check: Roth Ira And Tax Benefits

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

This collection of information is authorized by OMB Control No. 1510-0007. The estimated average time associated with filling out a paper direct deposit enrollment form is 10 minutes per respondent or record keeper, depending on individual circumstances. The estimated average time for completing a direct deposit enrollment online is approximately five minutes.

Shifts Away From Pensions And Other Defined Benefit Plans

Who Is Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits

Researcher, Laura Rosen of the Center for Public Policy Priorities at the University of Texas at Austin found that Disparities in access to a retirement plan at work are greatest for workers that are: employed by small businesses, under the age of 45, less educated, work in a low-wage job, and are Hispanic, Black or Asian.

Rosen noted changes in the types of retirement accounts available to workers in Texas which have shifted dramatically over the last few decades.

In 1980, half of private-sector workers had access to a defined retirement account like a pension, where the employer bears much of the responsibility. In contrast, only about nineteen percent of workers held a defined contribution plan like a 401k.

Today, these figures are flipped, with fifty-three percent having access to a contribution-based plan and only eleven percent having a defined benefit plan. What this data also shows is that compared to 1980, the percent of workers with any sort of retirement account has decreased by five percent.

Rosen argues that to combat these inequalities and ensure that seniors have more substantive incomes in old age, changes to encourage saving must be incentivized. Through her research, Rosen found that eighty-four percent of full-time workers in the private sector who are offered a private retirement savings account took advantage of the benefit.

Recommended Reading: Qualified Opportunity Zone Tax Benefits

State Assistance Programs For Ssi Recipients January 2011

Administration: Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Effective date: September 1, 1999.

Statutory basis for payment: Texas Human Resources Code, section 32.024.

Funding

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: Social Security Administration field offices.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to all SSI recipients residing in nursing or intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded and whose countable income is less than $60.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Financial responsibility of relatives: None.

Interim assistance: State does not participate.

Payment calculation method: The state pays a supplement to individuals who reside in Medicaid facilities.

Payment levels: See Table 1.

Table 1. Optional state supplementation payment levels, January 2011

Living arrangement

What Texas Disability Programs Are Available To Residents

Currently there are 5,435,500 adults in Texas with a disability, or about 26% of the population. But only a small fraction of that number receives any of the $56.7 billion Texas spends on annual disability claims.

Qualified individuals should know there are two federal assistance programs in Texas available through the Social Security Administration . They include Social Security Disability Insurance , or Supplemental Security Income . The former looks mostly at prior work history, the latter at financial need. Both require applicants to also meet the federal definition of disability.

Disability Determination Services , part of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, determines state-level eligibility. The DDS is also responsible for administering payments even though these programs are federally funded. But how do you know if you qualify and how much assistance can you get?

Recommended Reading: State Of Tennessee Employee Retirement Benefits