Social Security disability

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Topcat

Stalwart
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Because I was in an auto (pick up truck) accident and sustained brain damage due to a closed head injury. I now have a lot of memory (mostly short term loss) confusion and uncontrolled seizures. So I am currently collecting Social Security Disability.
I have questions about how it works so if I run across people (like in here) who might benefit from it. I can tell them how it works.
I sure hope that some people here do know and can answer my questions and if possible provide links to websites:
1) Is the amount that one collects based on their age at the time they began to collect it? More specifically is it based on the number of years they have worked. I would assume for example that someone who begins to collect it age 40 would have worked longer than.
2) Is it based on how much money one has paid into it. Which I would assume would once again be more for someone who has worked longer (as in someone age 40 when they take versus someone age 20.)

3) Also if someone had a higher paying job etc. they would have paid more into it.

Although I don't think I had jobs that paid me that much I did work very long hours at times so paid a lot of money into it.

4) So is it based in anyway on how much money one has paid into ( for lack of a better term) the social security plan?
I hope this makes some sense (as I have posted I have confusion).
 
If I remember correctly, the monthly benefit amount is based on how much you earned per year in the last 2-4 years before applying for benefits.

The more you earn, the more you pay, the more you get.
 
It's complicated! From: http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/how-much-in-ssd.html:
If you are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI, or sometimes just SSD) benefits, the amount you receive each month will be based on your average lifetime earnings before your disability began. It is not based on how severe your disability is or how much income you have. Most SSDI recipients receive between $700 and $1,700 per month (the average for 2016 is $1,166). However, if you are receiving disability payments from other sources, your payment may be reduced.

The amount of money you will receive from Social Security on a monthly basis is unique for every individual. This is due to the fact that the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a complex weighted formula in order to calculate benefits for each person, up to the maximum benefit of $2,639 in 2016.

Social Security bases your retirement and disability benefits on the amount of income on which you've paid Social Security taxes—called "covered earnings." Your average covered earnings over a period of years is known as your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). A formula is applied to your AIME to calculate your primary insurance amount (PIA)—the base figure the SSA uses in setting your benefit amount. The formula consists of fixed percentages of different amounts of income (called "bend points," which are adjusted each year). For example, in 2016, 90% of the first $856 of your AIME was added to your PIA, plus 32% of your AIME from $856 to $5,157, plus 15% of your AIME over $5,157. The amounts are added up to come up with your PIA.

There's more helpful info at the link above.
 
To add to your great post, if the recipient has anything that can be garnished (student loans, child support, etc), they federal government will withdraw it, if I remember correctly, up to $250/ month. I have student loans and they take $168/ month.

And in increasing your chances of receiving it, have a supportive doctor who will report it to the SSA.
 
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