What can a Social Security Attorney do to help me?
Statistically, up to seventy percent or all claims for Social Security benefits (SSDI - Social Security Disability Insurance and SSI - Supplemental Security Income) are denied at application. What this means for applicants who are disabled and need help is that they may not be able to get the benefits they need when they apply for them. The approval system is a complex and stringent one. A good social security attorney can help you appeal your case if your application has been denied, and get the benefits to which you are entitled. Find an experienced social security law attorney in the Internet Lawyer Directory.
The Social Security Program was created in the United States in 1935. The intent in instituting this program was to provide security for the aged, survivors, and disability insurance benefits to workers and their families. It was also intended to protect individuals from unforeseen catastrophes. Benefits are paid to an individual or his or her family on the basis of that person's employment record and prior contributions to the system. After you've paid into the system - when you retire or become disabled - you, your spouse, and your children can receive monthly benefits.
This program is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and since 1965 it has included health insurance benefits under the Medicare program. While the original act used Social Security in a broad sense and included federally funded welfare programs and unemployment compensation within its scope, current usage associates the phrase with old age, survivors, and disability insurance.
In addition to retirement, Social Security benefits can be received by eligible recipients including widow, widowers, children of deceased individuals eligible for benefits, and disabled individuals.
Years ago many of us got our Social Security number about the time we got our first job. It was a symbol of our right to work and our responsibility to pay taxes. And, like getting a driver's license, it was symbolic of becoming an adult. Today, many parents apply for a number for their newborns even before they leave the hospital. A social security number is becoming more and more the way an individual is identified, and is required on most important documentation including tax returns, bank accounts, insurance applications, marriage certificates, and so on.
Those who are eligible for monthly Social Security benefits, depending upon the particular circumstances, can include:
(1) a disabled worker under age 65
(2) a retired worker age 62 or older
(3) the spouse of a retired or disabled worker who is age 62 or older - or - who has a child under age 16 (or a child over the age of 16 who is disabled)
(4) the divorced spouse of a retired or disabled worker age 62 or older who was married to the worker for at least 10 years
(5) the dependent . Unmarried child of a disabled, retired or deceased worker who is under age 18, under age 19 and a full-time elementary or secondary school student, or age 18 or older but determined to be disabled before age 22
(6) surviving spouses age 60 or over
(7) the disabled surviving spouse of a deceased worker age 50 to 59 who became disabled within a specific period
(8) the surviving spouse of a deceased worker regardless of age who cares for an entitled child of the worker who is under age 16 or disabled before age 22
(9) the dependent parents of a deceased worker at age 62 or older
The manner in which Social Security taxes are collected are as follows:
If you work for an employer, 6.2% of your wages is withheld and your employer deposits the withholding, along with its 6.2% matching contribution, with the government for the social security programs. In addition if you work for an employer, 1.45% of your wages is withheld and the employer makes a matching 1.45% contribution to the Medicare program, making the total withholdings at 7.65%. However, all wages are subject to the Medicare tax; there is no ceiling.
If you are self-employed, you pay 15.3% of your taxable income into the social security and Medicare programs, up to the first $87,900 of income. You continue to pay 2.9% of your taxable income into the Medicare program for your earnings above $87,900. Although the impact on you is greater because you pay twice the rate of employees, you can deduct half of your federal self-employment taxes from your income when it comes time to pay your federal income tax.
