If you have been disabled and cannot work, you have two main options to pursue as far as financial support and assistance: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). Both are federal government programs that pay regular benefits to disabled individuals. But the lines differentiating SSI and SSDI can often be difficult to pinpoint. Below, Ozark, Alabama lawyer Ray T. Kennington, Attorney at Law, discusses some crucial differences in these two components of Social Security law.

SSI Is Needs-Based, While SSDI Is Based on Medical

The biggest difference between SSI and SSDI is the fact that the former is a program for disabled people based on financial need. An individual who is found to be disabled while not meeting certain financial thresholds can qualify for SSI. SSDI, on the other hand, is not focused on need; instead, the program centers solely on a disabled person's medical condition and whether the condition qualifies for SSDI. It is possible to have both SSI and SSDI.

SSDI Amounts Are Based on Work Credit Hours

Every employed American taxpayer pays taxes into the Social Security system, the fund that supports the SSDI program. The funding for SSI actually doesn't come from the Social Security system at all but from the Treasury Department's General Funds. The amount of SSDI a disabled person receives is based on the number of work credit hours they have put in through the Social Security taxes paid throughout their working life; SSI is not concerned with work history or credit hours, just how much you presently have in income or assets.

SSI Recipients Get Medicaid: SSDI Recipients, Medicare

Obviously, if you are disabled by a life-limiting medical condition, your health and wellness must be a priority. Those who are approved for SSI are typically given access to their state's Medicaid program. Social Security law requires SSDI recipients, however, to go on Medicare, which is a federal program. SSDI recipients often have to purchase supplemental insurance coverage since Medicare is not as comprehensive as most Medicaid programs.

If you are disabled and in need of support through SSI or SSDI, trust Social Security lawyer Ray T. Kennington, Attorney at Law, to look out for your best interests. Since 1982, Attorney Kennington has been representing clients in a variety of practice areas. Call (334) 445-1200, visit his website, or find him on Facebook to learn more about any of his services or to arrange a consultation today.