As a U.S. citizen, you’ve likely been paying into the Social Security system for years without giving it much thought – the deduction from your paycheck has probably been viewed as just one more tax. But every time you’ve paid into Social Security, you’ve made a small investment that comes back to you in the future: Those funds become available to those over 65 as retirement income in the form of Social Security retirement benefits, and if you’re under 65 but disabled and unable to work, your funds are available as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
Many people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases have gotten financial relief thanks to this program. The Social Security Administration also provides a program called Supplemental Security Income for those with very limited financial resources
What is Social Security Disability Insurance?
You’re probably familiar with Social Security’s retirement benefits and the way that they work: For every paycheck you receive throughout your working life, a small amount is deducted and paid to Social Security. While most times, these funds you pay to the government become available as retirement income after you’ve turned 65, it is also available sooner to provide financial assistance should you become disabled and unable to work. Social Security Disability Insurance helps citizens who have paid into the Social Security system meet their basic needs, and those of their dependents, and sustain a higher quality of life. It replaces some of the income that they’ve lost due to their disability.
Multiple standards must be met to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance; these include no longer being able to work due to a medical condition that has lasted or is expected to last at least one year or result in death. The condition must be severe enough that it both prevents the beneficiary from doing the work that they did in the past and also prevents them from adjusting to other work. SSDI recipients are more than three times as likely to die within a year as other people their age.[1] Still, if a mesothelioma patient lives beyond their expected prognosis and receives Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for two years, they automatically become eligible for Medicare coverage.
What is the Supplemental Security Income Program?
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides monetary assistance for people who are 65 or older and either blind or disabled who have very limited financial resources — working couples can have no more than $3,000 in assets to qualify. Considered “an assistance source of last resort,” it is funded by general tax revenues rather than by payroll taxes. Unlike Social Security Disability Insurance, it does not require a qualifying work history.[2]
How to File for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income After a Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Social Security Disability Insurance can help pay for your basic needs while you’re facing the high cost of your mesothelioma care. To apply for either SSDI or SSI, you can either visit your local Social Security Office, fill out an online application, or call the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 for assistance.
Though the process of applying for Social Security Disability Insurance has a reputation for being arduous and intrusive, changes have been made recently aimed at reducing the administrative burdens for applicants and helping more people with disabilities receive government benefits and services. New rules will simplify one of the pivotal steps of the process; the assessment of whether a person applying for disability benefits can perform any of their “past relevant work.”[3]
While this shift will be a boon for many, people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma generally find that their application is expedited as a result of the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances Program.[4]
Does a Mesothelioma Diagnosis Qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance
Mesothelioma is a debilitating illness, and being diagnosed with the rare and fatal condition meets the eligibility requirements for receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) as long as the applicant has paid enough into the system over the years. Though applicants for SSDI often wait several months before being approved, in 2008 the Social Security Agency created the Compassionate Allowances Program to quickly identify and approve benefits for people whose conditions, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits and for which an expedited process is in place.[5] These conditions include pericardial mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pleural mesothelioma. As a result, mesothelioma patients are often approved for Social Security Disability Insurance in days rather than having to wait months.
There is no special application process required for entry to the Compassionate Allowances Program. The Social Security Administration maintains a list of hundreds of conditions that qualify: Applicants diagnosed with mesothelioma should specifically state within their application that they have a condition that appears on the Compassionate Allowances Conditions list.
What Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits Will a Person with Mesothelioma Receive?
SSDI benefits include a monthly payment that is calculated based on your work history. Neither your household income nor the severity of your disability affects your monthly benefit amount: It is based on your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) and Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is calculated using up to 35 of your working years. For the calendar year 2024, the maximum SSDI payment is $3,822 a month The maximum family benefit for SSDI is about 85% to 150% of the disabled worker’s benefit. The maximum payment at full retirement age is $3,822 monthly.[6]
Additionally, recipients are automatically enrolled in Medicare two years after the date that they become entitled to Disability benefits. The Social Security Administration will mail a welcome package three months after Medicare coverage begins.
