Is Social Security Disability Providing Additional Funds This Month?
If you’re one of the millions of people who cannot work and depend on disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, you probably could use some extra money. It’s that need for extra money the scammers with posts and videos all over social media and the internet count on to lure people into their trap.
The Clauson Law Firm is a veteran-owned law firm with a proven track record spanning decades. Its disability lawyers are dedicated to assisting individuals in North Carolina and throughout the country to get the disability benefits they rightfully deserve. Our clients place their trust in us, knowing that we are committed to their well-being. This article is a testament to our commitment, aiming to debunk the scams and misinformation surrounding extra disability benefits, thereby safeguarding you from falling prey to these fraudulent schemes.
This article provides a wealth of information, shedding light on legitimate circumstances that could potentially boost your Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income payments this year. After reading, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Clauson Law Firm for answers to questions or concerns about your benefits, or to ensure you’re receiving the full amount of the disability benefits you’re rightfully entitled to under the law.
What’s Behind the Fake Websites and Social Media Posts?
Scammers want you to believe the Social Security Administration has extra money for people receiving disability benefits through SSI and SSDI. The situation has gone on for a few years and got so bad that the Office of Inspector General of the SSA put out a scam alert warning people about the false and purposely misleading sites and posts.
Websites set up to mimic legitimate news organizations and government sites populate the internet, and videos promising free money from the government are all over popular social media platforms. Typing “Is Social Security disability giving extra money?” floods your screen with websites containing false or purposely misleading information promising extra money to anyone willing to provide their personal and financial information.
Do not click on links appearing in any of the sites, posts, or videos. At best, they are attempts to drive visitors to the site’s advertisers, but they can also be scammers’ attempts to get you to give up your personal and financial information.
If you suspect that you have been targeted by a scam related to Social Security disability benefits, report it to the Social Security Administration at the Office of Inspector General. You can protect yourself from becoming the victim of fraud by taking the following steps:
- Ignore the scammer’s efforts by not clicking on website links promising extra money. If the offer comes in the form of a telephone call, do not engage with the caller. Hang up and report it to the SSA Office of Inspector General.
- Do not provide any information about yourself, including personal and bank information, to scammers or transfer money to them.
- Assume that unsolicited contacts from someone claiming to be from the SSA or other government agency are fake.
If you’re uncertain about the authenticity of an online or telephone promise of free money from the government, do nothing until talking to your disability lawyer at Clauson Law.
I Got Two Disability Payments During The Month. Did I Get Extra Money?
Now that you know that promises of extra disability benefits are not what they appear to be, there are situations that may result in recipients of SSI or SSDI receiving what seems to be extra money. One of those situations occurs because of the days of the month the SSA processes disability payments.
SSI benefits are processed for payment on the first day of the month. However, if the first of the month is on a Saturday, Sunday, or national holiday, the payment is processed for payment on the immediately preceding weekday that is not a national holiday.
SSDI benefits are paid on a Wednesday of the month according to the following schedule based on the day of the month you were born:
- If you were born on the first through tenthday of the month, SSDI payments are on the second Wednesday of each month.
- If you were born on the eleventh through the twentieth of the month, SSDI payments are made on the third Wednesday of each month.
- If you were born on the twenty-first through the thirty-first of the month, SSDI payments are made on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
SSDI payments occurring on a national holiday are processed on the immediately preceding weekday.
Some people with disabilities may be eligible for SSDI and SSI benefits, which changes the payment day of the SSDI benefits. The SSI benefits are paid on the first day of each month, but the SSDI benefits are paid on the third day of the month. The rules about weekends and national holidays still apply.
If a payment is due on a weekend or national holiday, it could result in two payments during the same month. For example, recipients of SSI benefits received two payments in December 2023: one on December 1 and another on December 29. Although it may have seemed like an extra payment, the December 29 payment was not. It was the January 2024 payment, but the first day of January 2024 was New Year’s Day, a national holiday. The January 1 payment was processed on the immediately preceding weekday, which was December 29, 2023.
Social Security publishes a benefits calendar each year. The calendar is an easy and convenient way to keep track of monthly SSDI and SSI benefit payments.
Annual Cost-Of-Living Adjustments And Benefit Changes
Government benefits, including disability benefits through the SSDI and SSI programs, may increase each year to help beneficiaries keep pace with inflation-related increases in consumer prices. The SSA announcement about the 2024 cost-of-living adjustment was made in the fall of 2023, which has been the usual time of the year for letting news outlets, the general public, and benefit recipients know about the adjustment percentage.
For example, the 2024 benefit increase of 3.2% was announced in the third quarter of 2023. Recipients of SSI, SSDI, and other benefits payable through the SSA received notices about the percentage increase directly from Social Security. The notice lets recipients know the dollar amount the increase means for their benefits. In other words, beneficiaries should not have been surprised by the amount of their 2024 benefit payment for January 2024.
Cost-of-living adjustments to your SSI and SSDI disability benefits can be difficult for the average person to predict. Federal law requires the use of a formula based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, commonly referred to as CPI-W. It’s complicated, but an annual increase in SSI and SSDI benefits is not guaranteed when the formula does not show that an increase is warranted.
If the first monthly disability payment you receive for a new year is more than your benefits for the previous year, you may have overlooked the notice from the Social Security Administration about a cost-of-living adjustment. A call to the SSA or to your disability lawyer at Clauson Law can quickly resolve the discrepancy.
Money Owed To You As Past-Due Benefits
If you receive what appears to be extra money from the SSA, it may be past-due benefits or back pay. It takes time to process applications for SSDI and SSI benefits, so there may be a gap between the date you applied and the date your claim is approved.
When you apply for SSDI, you may also receive retroactive payments for the time between when you became disabled, called the disability onset date, and the date you filed your application. You cannot receive retroactive payments when applying only for SSI, but you can receive back pay from the application date to the approval of the claim.
Social Security pays back pay separately from your regular monthly benefit payment. If you are unsure how much you should receive as back pay, a disability lawyer at the Clauson Law Firm can review your claim and explain it to you.
Be Wary Of Someone Telling You Congress Approved An Increase In Disability Benefits
Proposed legislation undergoes a process before it is put to a vote in Congress and signed into law by the president. A number of proposals to increase disability benefits have been made, but none of them have made it further than the proposal stage. These proposals have become the basis for rumors about SSA benefits increasing, but Congress has passed no legislation approving the money to fund increasing SSI or SSDI benefits.
Clauson Law, Your Source For Trusted Advice And Representation
The disability lawyers at the Clauson Law Firm pride themselves on always looking out for their clients. When you want advice you can trust and skilled representation in all matters related to disability benefits, turn to a disability lawyer at Clauson Law. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
