There are five major types of Social Security disability benefits:

1. Disability Insurance Benefits (SS/DIB) - for disabled people who have worked in recent years (five out of the last 10 years in most cases). It doesn't matter if the person is rich or poor for these benefits. Some keys elements of these benefits include:

• An individual must be fully insured; must have 20 ‘quarters’ paid in out of the last 40 ‘quarters’ (5 of the
last 10 years)

• Claimants under the age of 31 require less ‘quarters’

• Once insured, you remain so for approximately five years after the last date of earned credit. You earn
credit by working in a public job and paying into the Social Security Disability program.

• Benefits become payable starting the 6^th month after onset date of disability, but never more than one
year before the filing date.

• Twenty-four months after the first month of benefits are paid, the claimant becomes eligible for
Medicare.

• There are no limits on assets, money or property owned to be eligible for SS/DIB.

• Dependents:

Minor children of a disabled worker can draw ½ of the worker’s benefit amount while the worker
is living.

If the worker is deceased, the minor children can draw 3/4 of the benefit amount.

Benefits to dependents are limited by a family maximum.

Benefits are paid up to age 18 years

Family members who are eligible:

• widow/widower 60 years of age or older

• widow/widower 50 years of age or older and disabled

• widow/widower of any age if caring for the child under the age of 16 or a disabled child is receiving
Social Security benefits

• unmarried children under the age of 18 or over the age of 18 and disabled

• parents of the deceased if they are dependent for at least half of their support

• divorced widow/widower, with restrictions

5. SSI Child's Disability Benefits

In a child’s disability case, there are some Listings which are unique to children. If a child meets a Listing he/she will be found to be disabled. If the child does not meet a Listing, the Judge will look for "Functional Equivalence".

There are Six Domains to be evaluated for the "functional equivalence" requirement. The child must have "extreme limitations" in one Domain or "marked limitations" in at least two Domains in order to be determined disabled.

Marked Limitations - means the child functions at more than half of his/her age equivalence but no more than 2/3 of his/her age equivalence.

Example: A 12 year old child functions like a child older than 6 years old but no older than 9 years old.