How Much Can I Expect in My Check?

If you are approved for disability insurance benefits, the amount of your monthly check will depend on how much you have worked and paid into the system over the past 10 years through your FICA taxes. You can call the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to ask how much you would receive should you become disabled. Most people get a letter from the SSA stating how much they would receive should you be determined disabled, but that amount changes from year to year depending on your earnings. Therefore, if you have not worked in the past few years, then your monthly check will probably be lower than the last letter you received indicated. Generally speaking, a person is only insured for disability insurance benefits for about 5 years after they last worked. If you are disabled but you are not insured for disability benefits, then you could be qualified for Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”). SSI is an income and resource based program. You would have to have little to no resources or income to be qualified for SSI. SSI monthly payment amounts are different from state to state. In the Carolinas a person who is eligible for SSI would receive $679 per month, but this amount can be decreased depending on, for instance, the amount of outside support you receive.