In California, injured residents may be eligible to receive State Disability Insurance (SDI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Had enough of the initialisms? Here’s one more:
If you’re eligible for SDI or SSDI, you might also qualify for State Supplemental Payments (SSP).
All of this is a bit confusing, so let’s clear things up by answering some basic questions about benefit programs available to Californians.
SDI is a state program administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD). The program is intended to provide financial benefits to California residents during their first year of disability.
Most California employees have a small part of their income taken out of their paychecks and placed in the SDI fund. You can receive SDI benefits so long as you have paid into the fund and are unable to work because:
SDI generally pays 60-70% of your monthly wages (based on a 12-month wage average) for up to 52 weeks of disability.
SSDI is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The program provides financial benefits to people who can’t work because they have a medical condition that’s expected to last at least 1 year or result in death.
In order to qualify for SSDI, you must:
SSI is very similar to SSDI. Just like SSDI, you must be “totally disabled” before you can receive SSI benefits.
The main difference between SSDI and SSI is that SSI has an additional need-based requirement.
In order to receive SSI, your countable resources must be equal to or less than $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple. Countable resources include things like cash, land, and personal property that could be sold for cash.
SSP is a state-funded program for people who receive SSI. To put it simply, California adds a certain amount of money to the monthly amount SSI recipients receive from the federal government. This amount can change from year to year. In 2019, the maximum SSP was $160 per month for an individual.
The theory behind SSP is that California has a high cost of living relative to other states. As a result, it wouldn’t make sense for California residents to receive the same amount of SSI that residents in, say, North Dakota receive.
If you’re disabled, chances are your medical bills are piling up.
Does this mean you’ll spend all your SSDI or SSI benefits on medical expenses?
Not necessarily.
If you’ve been approved for SSDI benefits, you’ll automatically receive Medicare (a government program that helps with medical costs) after 2 years. If you’ve been approved for SSI benefits, you’ll receive Medicaid (a government program that helps with medical costs).
Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that pays medical expenses and lost wages to employees who are injured while doing their job. All employers in California are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.
Workers’ compensation has nothing to do with the SSA. The injuries and medical conditions covered by workers’ compensation are different than those covered under SSDI and SSI. For example, it’s not necessary to be “totally disabled” in order to receive workers’ compensation insurance.
If your workers’ compensation benefits and social security disability benefits exceed the 80% threshold, the SSA (in most states) will reduce the amount of disability benefits you receive until your benefits total 80%. In some states, your workers’ compensation benefits will be reduced instead.
There are 3 ways to apply for SSI or SSDI in California:
Whichever method you choose, you should have the following information ready:
Once you submit your application, it will be reviewed by medical and vocational experts. These experts may conduct investigations and, in some cases, the state might require you to undergo a medical exam.
In most cases, you’ll receive a decision in 3-5 months. If your request is denied, you have 60 days to appeal the decision. Your appeal can take any one of the following forms:
You can hire an attorney to help you with your initial application, or to help you with your appeal. Use our free online directory to locate a qualified attorney in your area.
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