Many people in South Carolina benefit from either SSI or SSDI. Some general statistics on the programs include the following:
[su_row class=”highlight textcenter”]118,384 individuals in South Carolina received disability benefits through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as of December 2011. Of this number, 109,777 received the SSI benefits because they were either blind or disabled. (U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy)[/su_row]
[su_row class=”highlight textcenter”]20,743 of SSI recipients as of December 2013 were under the age of 18. 75,845 were between 18 and 64 years of age. (U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy)[/su_row]
[su_row class=”highlight textcenter”]192,096 South Carolina residents received benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as of December 2013. (Kaiser Family Foundation, State Health Facts)[/su_row]
While SSD benefits provide an important safety net to many disabled individuals in South Carolina, many more apply for benefits and have their claims denied. Some of these denials occur because the individuals are actually ineligible for benefits. Many others occur because incomplete information was provided by the disabled individual or because of other errors made during the application process.
The denial rate is high in South Carolina, as it is in the majority of states:
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32.1 percent of initial claims for disability benefits are approved in South Carolina (calculated from Social Security State Agency Monthly Workload Data from 9/24/11-9/28/12).[/su_row]
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11.7 percent of claims for disability benefits are approved at the reconsideration stage. Reconsideration is the first stage of appeal and involves having your claim for benefits reviewed by an independent disability claims examiner (calculated from Social Security State Agency Monthly Workload Data from 9/24/11-9/28/12).[/su_row]
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The average approval percentage of initial SSDI claims is 43.2 percent, while the average percentage of SSI claims approved on the initial claim is 27.9 (calculated from Social Security State Agency Monthly Workload Data from 9/24/11-9/28/12).[/su_row]
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The average wait time for a hearing is 13 months in the Columbia hearing office. In the Charleston hearing office, the average wait time is 11 months, and in the Greenville office, the average wait time is 10 months. Hearings in front of an administrative law judge are the second stage of appeal, after a request for reconsideration has been made and the benefits claim is still denied. (Social Security State Agency Monthly Workload Data from 9/24/11-9/28/12)[/su_row]
Statistics on South Carolina Disability Benefit Payments
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[/su_column][su_column size=”5/6″]The federal maximum SSI benefits payment in 2013 is $710 for an individual and $1,066 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse. South Carolina may supplement federal benefit payments for certain eligible individuals. (Social Security Administration, SSI Amounts)[/su_column][/su_row]
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[/su_column][su_column size=”5/6″]Individuals are disqualified from receiving SSDI benefits if they are working and engaged in substantial gainful activity (SGA). For 2013, the SGA amounts are set at $1,040 per month for non-blind individuals and $1,740 a month for blind individuals. (Social Security Office, 2013 Social Security Changes)[/su_column][/su_row]
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[/su_column][su_column size=”5/6″]The estimated monthly average Social Security benefit paid to disabled individuals in January 2013 is $1,132. (Social Security Office, 2013 Social Security Changes)[/su_column][/su_row]
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[/su_column][su_column size=”5/6″]The estimated monthly average social security benefit paid to workers with a spouse or one or more children is $1,919 in January 2013. (Social Security Office, 2013 Social Security Changes)[/su_column][/su_row]
The amount of benefits you can receive for SSDI depends upon a number of factors, including how much you have paid into the Social Security system. In some cases, you may be eligible for benefits through both SSI and SSDI, as well as through other benefits programs, including benefits for disabled veterans or workers’ compensation benefits. However, earning income from any source over the course of a month can result in a benefits reduction.
Need Help? Our Sumter SSD Lawyers Are Ready
If you are disabled and applying for Social Security Disability benefits in South Carolina, you can depend on the SSD / SSI attorneys of Land Parker Welch LLC to make the application and appeals process as simple as possible.
Call us or use our online contact form for a no-cost consultation today. We help clients in Clarendon, Sumter and Williamsburg counties and the communities of Sumter, Manning, Summerton, Kingstree, Mayesville, Turbeville, New Zion, Bishopville and throughout South Carolina.
