What are Title II Benefits?
Title II Benefits are cash benefits for people who are fully “insured” under Social Security. A person is insured once they have worked long enough and paid enough Social Security taxes.
Title II cash benefits on a worker’s record may also be available to a child whose parent has died; adults between the ages 18 and 65 who have disability; people who reach retirement age; and spouses of people who receive Title II.
Social Security manages the Title II program. People who receive Title II often refer to their benefits as “Social Security,” though each type of Title II benefit has differences.
It is possible for a person to receive Title II benefits even if they have not worked. For example, a child whose parent has died may collect Title II cash benefit based off their parent’s work record. The same rule applies to an adult with a disability.
How do I become insured?
When you work and pay taxes, you can earn “credits,” also called Quarters of Coverage. You can earn a maximum of four credits per year. You need to earn a certain total number of credits to be considered fully insured.
Your age, work history, if you have a disability, and other factors affect how many credits you need to become fully insured. You can learn more here. You can also talk to Social Security or create a My SSA Account for more information about your insured status.
What Title II benefits are
available to people with disabilities?
Title II benefits include three different disability-related benefits. Each is based on a worker being insured under Social Security. The person receiving the benefit must be disabled under Social Security’s rules.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
SSDI is a cash benefit for people who have a disability and who are insured under Social Security, based on their own work history. (In some cases, the spouse of an SSDI beneficiary may also qualify for benefits.)
Social Security Disabled Widow’s/Widower’s Beneficiary (SSDWB)
SSDWB is a cash benefit awarded due to the death of a spouse or former spouse. This benefit is only available for individuals between ages 50 and 60 who have a disability.
Social Security Child Disability Beneficiary (SSCDB)
SSCDB, also called Social Security Disabled Adult Child (DAC) is a cash benefit for people who:
- Are age 18 or older
- Have a disability which started before age 22
- Have not married, unless the spouse is a Title II beneficiary; and
- Have a parent who is disabled, retired, or deceased, and the parent is insured with Social Security
“Child Disability Beneficiary” is a misleading term. It does not mean that the person is the age of a child. Rather, it means they are an adult who became disabled at a young age, and they are the child of a parent who qualifies for Social Security benefits.
What are Social Security’s disability rules?
To be considered disabled by Social Security, you must have a physical or mental disability which:
- Has lasted or is expected to last for 12 straight months or longer, OR
- Is expected to result in death.
– AND –
- It affects your ability to work at a certain level (called Substantial Gainful Activity, or SGA).
How much will my Title II Benefit be?
The amount can vary between a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. The amount you receive depends on the worker’s employment history.
- SSDI: the amount you receive is based on your own work history.
- SSCDB: the amount you receive is based on a parent’s work history.
- SSDWB: the amount you receive is based on a spouse’s work history.
If you are eligible for SSCDB, the cash benefit amount you receive depends on if your parent is disabled, retired, or has died.
- If your parent is disabled or retired and is collecting Title II benefits, you will receive up to 50% of the parent’s benefit. The money you receive will not reduce your parent’s benefit amount.
- If your parent has died, you may receive up to 75% of the benefit your parent would have been eligible for.
Can I receive more than one Title II benefit?
Yes! You may receive Title II based on your own record as well as another person’s record at the same time. For example, you could receive SSDI based on your own work record while also collecting SSCDB because a parent is disabled or has retired or died.
In these situations, you will not receive the full amount of both benefits. Rather, you will receive a combination of benefit amounts which equal the largest Title II cash benefit you are eligible for.
Social Security limits how much they pay a family when several members collect a benefit from one family member’s work record. This is called the ‘Family Maximum Benefit.’ More information on this can be found on the Social Security website.
Example
Jolene is eligible for $1,200 SSDI and $1,500 CDB. The most Jolene can receive is $1,500, because that is the larger Title II benefit.
Here is how Social Security will divide the benefit checks:
- First, Social Security will give Jolene the full benefit amount based on her own work record: $1,200 SSDI.
- Next, Social Security will pay the remainder of the $1,500 with the other Title II benefit check: $1,500 - $1,200 SSDI = $300 SSCDB.
Altogether, Jolene is awarded $1,200 SSDI and $300 SSCDB.
How does income affect my Title II Benefits?
How Social Security looks at your income depends on if it is unearned or earned.
- Unearned income is money you receive that is not from work, such as a cash gift or another benefit check. Unearned income will not affect your Title II benefit check.
- Earned income is money you earn from work. Earned income can affect your Title II.
Earnings are used as a measurement of your ability to work at a certain level, called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). If you demonstrate that you can work at the SGA level, you may not receive a Title II cash benefit.
It is important to understand the concept of Substantial Gainful Activity and how your earned income might affect your benefits. For more information, visit How does Work affect my Title II Benefit?
What are the resource limits?
Title II does not have a resource limit. This means you can save money and not risk losing your Title II cash benefit!
However, before you start saving a lot of money in your bank account, we recommend you meet with a benefits planner. You may receive other benefits, like Medicaid, which can have a resource limit. A benefits planner can look at your benefits to help you understand if you have a resource limit, and what your options are to save money.
Do I get medical coverage with Title II?
Yes. After being eligible for Title II Benefits for two years, you qualify for Medicare.
Medicare is our nation’s health insurance. It can pay for hospital costs, medical care, prescription drugs, and medical devices. You can learn about Medicare here.
In addition to Medicare, many Title II beneficiaries also receive Medicaid. Medicaid is not directly linked to Title II benefits. However, you may qualify for Medicaid through a different program. Visit this page for more information about Medicaid.
How do I apply for Title II Benefits?
You can start the application process here.
Social Security will ask you for a lot of information related to your disability and your work. Having all your information organized and ready is a good first step when applying.
To prepare for the application, visit Social Security’s “Disability Starter Kit.”
Want to learn more?
A Look at Title II is a 2-hour video, organized into shorter chapters, which features two benefits planners who discuss SSI rules and share their insights.
Watch in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or with ASL.
Getting Started with Social Security
Susan Harrell (00:10):
[ ♪ Music ♪].
Susan Harrell (00:12):
This is Susan Harrell from the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment. Social Security and Medical Benefits and Work Incentives: Social Security provides cash benefits to individuals with disabilities. These benefits give individuals income, which allows them to learn personal responsibility, and can provide them with the resources to pay for housing, food, and other items. This is a great, concrete way for individuals to learn about money and budgeting. Getting on cash benefits can also provide you with medical benefits. Medical benefits allow people to access needed medical services and medical equipment. In addition, Medicaid, one of the medical benefits programs, can provide individuals with funding for residential and vocational services, as well as personal care services. In order to be eligible for Social Security disability benefits, an individual must have a disability that meets Social Security’s definition of disability, which is defined for people over the age of 18, as the inability to engage in any Substantial Gainful Activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment, which may be expected to result in death, or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Susan Harrell (01:42):
A person who’s capable of, or who is earning more than a certain monthly amount, is usually considered to be engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity or SGA. The amount of monthly earnings considered as SGA depends on the nature of a person’s disability. There is a higher SGA level for individuals who are statutorily blind than for others. Both SGA amounts generally change each year to see what the current SGA amount is. Please check out this document in the document library.
Susan Harrell (02:24):
The best time to apply for most people is after they’ve reached the age of 18. To file for benefits, you will need to contact Social Security for an application and for additional information. You can call +1 800-772-1213 or visit their website or contact a local Social Security office. You will need to fill out an application form, which includes information detailing the disability, how it affects your life, and how it affects your ability to work at a Substantial Gainful Activity level. Once you submit the application, Social Security checks to verify age, employment history, income, marital status, Social Security coverage. They send the file to the Washington State Disability Determination Services then. The office is also known as DDDS. This office is contracted by Social Security to determine if the individual qualifies for disability benefits by meeting Social Security’s definition of disability. The people at DDDS, they don’t know you.
Susan Harrell (03:36):
They may never meet you. And in order for them to determine your eligibility, they will read through the information that you provide. They’ll contact medical professionals for information as needed, and they may ask for an independent medical examination. It is extremely important to provide lots of information that verifies your disability or tells your story, which may include pictures, if a picture may show the disability, descriptive statements from family, friends, providers, school staff, or others, which describes the effect that your disability has on living and working in the community, and the kinds of supports that you need to be involved in community activities. An overview or a day in the life of where you, your parents, or others tell the story of what supports you need to get through a day in your life can be helpful. It is really preferable to speak about what supports you need on the worst day, as that is the level of support that you need to have available.
Susan Harrell (04:39):
Use the new place outlook to guide the information sharing, where you imagine being in an unfamiliar place without any help. What would be an issue for you? Would you be able to get up by yourself, dress yourself, prepare food for yourself, obtain transportation to necessary places and purchase what you need? The work that you do ahead of time in pulling together this paperwork will help smooth the way for an approval. Be sure to collect information from a variety of resources, including your medical professionals. It may be difficult for the Disability Determination staff to get these records from your doctor or from your school, from your counselor or your case manager. If they can’t get the information, they may not be able to approve your application. So it is best to get the information yourself and provide it to them.
Susan Harrell (05:33):
Once you’re on benefits, it is important to go ahead and get additional information about how the benefits may be affected by other income, resources, or your living situation. Remember receiving benefits can be helpful, but work is really essential if you ever want to have more money. You can work and retain needed benefits. Did you know that students receiving Supplemental Security or SSI payments from Social Security have a Work Incentive called the Student Earned Income Exclusion, which allows them to have thousands of dollars of income from employment each year, and this income is not counted against the SSI benefits? This Work Incentive can put thousands of extra dollars in your pocket each year that you work when you are in school clear up to the age of 22.
Susan Harrell (06:29):
There are many other Work Incentives that are available for cash and medical benefits, as well as for public housing and other benefits. Work Incentives encourage an individual’s work efforts by reducing the impact that work or work-related expenses or resources may have on the amount of cash or other benefits received. And by offering ways to help pay for needed services or equipment that is necessary for work. You can contact a benefits planner or a community Work Incentive Coordinator for more information about your specific benefits. Benefits planning allows people with disabilities to access knowledgeable resources to address questions about benefits and Work Incentive supports and services. This reduces fear and misunderstanding and helps people achieve the employment outcomes that improve the quality of their life so that they can have better financial stability. This also prevents crisis situations that can result when change occurs. For instance, a new job or a raise. And it reduces the possibility of unexpected loss of healthcare or cash benefits. This improves employment and economic outcomes. A study of Vermont’s Benefits Counseling System showed the individuals who utilize benefits, planning services, experienced, increased employment, increased earnings, and decreased medical expenses.