National social responsibility to take care of disabled Americans has vastly improved over the years. Now more than ever beneficiaries with a wide range of injuries or illnesses are being financially taken care of through cash disability benefits. These disabled individuals whether injured on the job or off, are now able to collect cash funds; either in a lump sum, temporary or permanent payments.
And cash disability benefits are no small feat; these funds are substantial forms of income for the disabled. In fact this cash is the equivalent to approximately about 50 percent of a claimant’s average weekly wage, but not surpassing the maximum benefit allotted. The average weekly wage is based on the last eight weeks of employment.
Furthermore, benefits are paid for up to 26 weeks (6 months) of disability in any given year. For employed workers, there is a 7-day waiting period for which no benefits are paid. Injured individuals can begin collecting their cash disability on the eighth consecutive day of disability. Unemployed workers who are injured more than 4 weeks (but within 26 weeks) of employment termination can collect cash disability benefits, but are no longer eligible for Unemployment insurance benefits. It’s one or the other. Cash disability benefits are payable from the first day of the disability that disqualifies them from receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits.
And it is not just you the disabled who can receive this cash. If you receive social security disability payments (SSDI), and not Supplemental security income, your children could be eligible for cash payments for as long as you are collecting benefits, or until they reach the age of 18. The amount your children are eligible for is up to 50% of what you receive not to exceed the Family Maximum. For example: if your disability check from Social Security is $1000 and your Family Maximum is equal to $2,000, each of your two children will receive a check for $500 per month.
And as if that’s not good enough, cash disability benefits are not even subject to state or federal income taxes. That means that everything that you receive is all yours!
But when applying for your cash disability benefits it is important to do things right. Applying for temporary or permanent disability and temporary partial or permanent partial disability benefits changes the application process.
Temporary disability is when you are suffering from an injury or illness that prevents you from being able to work for a certain period of time while you recover. Meanwhile permanent disability is when you will never be able to return to work and thus will rely on this cash benefits indefinitely.
Then there is the grey area of temporary partial disability when an individual is not able to perform their job completely for a short term period as a result of an injury that inhibits job performance. And of course permanent partial disability when you will never be able to resume performing your entire prior job duties and need partial compensation.
Cash disability benefits are complex and have a lot of grey areas in the application process. It is important to take the time to fill out the forms properly and ensure you are applying for the right type of benefit. Sometimes it is best to get some outside help and ensure that things get done right!
