Philadelphia Social Security Disability Law Blog

Losing one's job can be a difficult experience all by itself. However, it can be even more difficult if the job loss was due to a disability that was a result of a work-related injury. As readers may know, a disabled worker may be entitled to workers' compensation per Pennsylvania law, but the money received from such benefits is often not enough to meet the various expenses that arise after a disabling injury.

Thankfully, most workers pay Social Security taxes, making them eligible for Social Security benefits when facing financial challenges resulting from a disabling injury that eventually leads to job loss. The Social Security Administration runs the Social Security Disability Insurance program and will grant benefits to those people whose inability to work is because of a disabling condition.

According to a recent study, a number of children who are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum are not getting the medical or mental health care they need. Whereas fewer than 10 percent of children with other types of disability are not getting the care they need, according to the study. This number is closer to 20 percent, or 1 in 5, with respect to those children who have a spectrum disorder. Among children who are not suffering under any apparent disability, under 3 percent missed out on essential services.

The study found a number of reasons for this apparent gap in medical care. In some cases, the issue is the lack of health insurance that will pay for such services. Other issues include financial problems, marital issues and things like unemployment. At times, it is just hard for families with an autistic child to find the type of care suitable for their family.

Many Philadelphia residents who need to explore getting disability benefits are in their predicament because of a work-related injury. Indeed, even when all parties involved are being as careful as possible, there are many jobs in the area that simply involve dangerous work. Workers will inevitably get hurt from time to time, sometimes seriously.

Like other states, Pennsylvania has a workers' compensation system to deal with these sorts of situations, but too often, the benefits that workers' compensation provides are simply not enough to keep an injured worker afloat financially, at least not in the long run.

When individuals in Pennsylvania and elsewhere think about a person filing a disability claim, he or she often thinks of a worker that suffered an injury because of a work accident. While this is a common reason to file for Social Security disability benefits, this is not the only reason to do so. In fact, it is not only adults that benefit from this program. Children, too, can apply for and receive SSD benefits for a disability he or she is suffering from.

There are various reasons why a child may receive SSD benefits, and it is not only due to the child suffering from a disability. Based on 2017 data, it was found that the SSA distributed roughly $2.6 billion each month as a means to benefit 4.2 million children who have one or both parents that are disabled, retired or deceased. The idea is that these funds help provide the necessities of life for the family, making it possible for these children to have their needs met so they can complete high school.