6. Factors in Evaluating Disability

This page includes estimated disability payment information :
http://www.ssa.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.htm

If you are divorced, but your marriage lasted 10 years or longer, you can receive benefits on your ex-spouse's record (even if he or she has remarried) if:

• You are unmarried;
• You are age 62 or older;
• The benefit you are entitled to receive based on your own work is less than the benefit you would receive based on your ex-spouse's work; and
• Your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.

If you remarry, you generally cannot collect benefits on your former spouse's record unless your later marriage ends (whether by death, divorce or annulment).

See here for details : http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/divspouse.htm

In 2009, any month in which earnings exceed $700 is considered a month of services for an individual's trial work period.

Social Security does not consider services performed during the trial work period as showing that the disability has ended until services have been performed in at least 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) in a rolling 60-month period.

See here for details :
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/twp.html
http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/detailedinfo.htm

If you work and are full retirement age or older, you may keep all of your benefits, no matter how much you earn. If you are younger than full retirement age, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full Social Security benefits. If you are younger than full retirement age during all of 2009, Social Security will deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earned above $14,160. If you were born January 2, 1943, through January 1, 1955, then your full retirement age for retirement insurance benefits is 66.

See this reference :
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10069.html

Also see this calculator which will estimate reduction in benefits based on your age and earnings.
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/RTeffect.html

If these disability payments are for your disability (not as a spouse or ex-spouse of a disabled person) then the payments in general are not a function of age.

To initially qualify for benefits, there is an age element. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be called retirement benefits instead of disability benefits, but the benefit amount will not change.

There is no time limit on disability benefits, although your case will be reviewed to ensure you are still disabled. If you are still receiving disability benefits when you reach full retirement age, they will automatically be converted to retirement benefits.

A final element involving age is that certain members of your family may qualify for benefits based on your work. They include your spouse (or ex-spouse in some cases), if he or she is 62 or older.

Relevant links :
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10029.html
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_fa...
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_fa...

I didn't see a definitive answer to this.

As of 2001, federal law did NOT permit the offset of certain federal benefit payments (e.g., Social Security) to collect delinquent child support obligations.

However, this apparently changed in 2004 with the passage of the "Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2003" (taking effect October, 2004). There is a "Treasury Offset Program" which expands offset to government payments other than tax refunds. The role of TOP in collection of Social Security or similar federal payments seems to vary from state to state.

Relevant links :
http://www.fms.treas.gov/news/reports/childsupport01.html
http://www.fms.treas.gov/faq/offsets_childsupport.html
http://www.ssa.gov/legislation/legis_bulletin_022103.html

I am a 62 year-old 100% service-connected disabled veteran. I have been receiving monthly disability payments thru the Veterans Administration and the Social Security Administration for a number of years now. My question(s); Will I recieve this stimulus payment if I have a outstanding tax liability, or will this payment go to the IRS.
Thank-you

The law requires the Department of the Treasury to deduct delinquent child support and debts owed to state and Federal agencies from the one-time payment. The one-time payment will not be used to collect Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit overpayments.

If you receive Veterans benefits, but NOT Social Security or SSI, you may be eligible to receive a one-time economic recovery payment? Contact va.gov or your local VA office for details.

The number of work credits needed for disability benefits depends on your age when you become disabled. I have not seen that disability rulings by other sources affect this qualification.

Generally you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year you become disabled. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

The rules are as follows:

• Before age 24 -- You may qualify if you have 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability starts.
• Age 24 to 31 -- You may qualify if you have credit for working half the time between age 21 and the time you become disabled. For example, if you become disabled at age 27, you would need credit for 3 years of work (12 credits) out of the past 6 years (between ages 21 and 27).
• Age 31 or older -- In general, you need to have the number of work credits shown in the link below. Unless you are blind, you must have earned at least 20 of the credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled.

http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits3.htm