Plenty of disabled Americans rely on Social Security Disability payments to get by. Many of them may not realize that they\’re actually eligible for more assistance. This is a serious issue for disabled people in North Carolina. Many of them struggle to get by on just their current benefit. No matter what the situation is, it can be worth exploring whether they\’re entitled to more.
Factors that can increase SSD
One of the variables that can increase an individual\’s SSD payments is their work history. During their working lives, most Americans pay into Social Security. Someone who has worked and paid into Social Security for 10 years or longer may be eligible to collect more in SSD benefits.
If a close family member is deceased, that can also sometimes increase the amount of Social Security Disability benefit a person can collect. For example, if an adult child who helped support a disabled parent has died, that surviving parent may be eligible for an increased SSD payment.
Other family members who can affect the benefit amount include spouses and ex-spouses. If they have passed away, some of their benefits may be transferable to the disabled partner. The Social Security Administration provides a tool, called BEST, where people can check and see if they\’ve maximized the benefits they\’re collecting.
Even with the benefit eligibility screening tool, the process can be confusing. It\’s a good idea to think about getting help when communicating with the bureaucracy. There are attorneys who have lots of experience helping disabled Americans get the benefits they deserve.