Once you begin working and paying taxes, you start paying into the Social Security system. This happens automatically when Social Security taxes are taken out of your check. As of this writing, Social Security is 12.4% total. Out of that, the employee pays 6.2% and the employer pays 6.2%. To learn more about Social Security taxes, you can visit the IRS’s website.
You and your employers pay Social Security taxes throughout your career. Social Security is there for you if you become disabled and unable to work and it’s there for you when you retire. The Social Security Administration (SSA) helps provide essential financial support to millions of American workers, most of which goes toward retirement benefits.
The SSA is also there for workers if they become seriously injured or ill and their medical condition is so severe, they can’t engage in any meaningful work and they can’t support themselves or their family.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits
If the unexpected has happened to you and you can’t work because you’re seriously disabled, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, which don’t replace all of your lost income, but they replace a portion of it. But do you qualify for disability benefits? Here’s what you need to know about eligibility:
- You must be seriously disabled;
- Your physical or mental condition must be expected to last at least one year or result in death;
- You must not be capable of engaging in easier work than you did before;
- You must have worked long enough to qualify for disability; and
- You must have worked recently to qualify.
Workers become eligible for Social Security benefits by working and paying their FICA taxes, which turn into Social Security credits. How many credits a disabled worker needs to qualify for disability benefits depends on their age and when they became disabled.
If someone has not worked long enough or recently enough to qualify for disability benefits, they may be eligible for assistance through the SSA’s Supplemental Security Income program. To learn more about your situation and which program you may qualify for, contact Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC.