Since 1999, the Social Security Administration has been sending annual benefit statements to workers aged 25 and older who would be eligible to receive benefits. These statements list benefit amounts for the worker in the event of retirement or disability, as well as benefit amounts to dependents in the even of death of the deceased worker.

How Much?

There are five basic categories of social security benefits that are funded by workers’ and employers’ contributions. 1) retirement 2) disability 3) family 4) survivors and 5) Medicare. As the worker works, he or she earns credits towards benefit eligibility. Ultimately, it is the worker’s actual earnings that determine the amount of benefits that the worker or the worker’s dependents should receive.

The Social Security Administration provides an online benefits calculator to help determine an estimate of what a worker or worker’s dependents would receive. The online calculator provides estimates that are similar to the estimates included in the annual benefits statements.

Social Security Claim Evaluation Form

The amount of money you receive for Social Security disability benefits depends on your “average lifetime earnings”. The Social Security Administration sends an earnings statement to potentially eligible workers each year that contains information regarding your earnings history and an estimate of what you would receive if you were to become disabled. The statement lists estimates of what your surviving family members would be entitled to if you were to die, and estimates of what your spouse and children would receive if you were to become disabled. It is important to keep your yearly Social Security earnings statement in the even that you die or become disabled.

When Will I Receive My Social Security Disability Benefits?

If you are approved for disability benefits, or if an administrative law judge decides in a hearing that you are entitled to benefits, then you will be paid for benefits beginning six months after your disability began. In other words, once your date of disability is decided, your benefits will not begin to accrue until six months after that time.

For example, it is possible that you become disabled in January, apply for benefits in April, but you are not actually awarded benefits until December. In that case, your benefits will not be paid back to your date of disability, but will instead be paid back to June (since that will allow six months to pass from the day you became disabled).

Benefits are paid monthly and typically on the first of the month.