Your Questions About Social Security Benefits
Posted by admin on Nov 13, 2009
Q: I own a business, but do not run it myself. Would I still be eligible to receive Social Security benefits?
A: As defined by the Social Security Administration, disability is the “inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity.” They determine substantial gainful activity according to the National Average Wage Index, which gives a dollar amount per month. The SSA considers an applicant to be working or employed at any time the that person “is the owner or part owner of a trade or business even if he or she does not actually work in the trade or business or receive any income from it.”
Your business income may affect your social security benefits. The income you receive from your business, regardless of who runs it, may be considered substantial if it exceeds a determined SGA (or substantial gainful activity) level. This level is determined by comparing your business earnings to your pre disability earnings, and the earnings of a non disabled person engaged in the same business.
Q: What will happen to my claim if I die while in the process of applying for benefits?
A: According to the Social Security Administration, if a person who may be eligible for social security benefits dies (this includes Supplemental Security Income), their survivors may apply for a Lump Sum Death Payment. What does this mean? If you die in the while your claim for social security benefits is pending, your family may be able to get some of the benefits you would have been eligible to receive after the waiting period. In order to receive the lump sum payment, your survivors must prove that you would have qualified for social security disability in the month of death.
Only certain close family members are eligible for these survivor’s social security benefits. When making the claim, the family will need to provide information and records about the deceased’s social security benefits eligibility and application (if there was one). The SSA will also want to see information about the deceased’s overall disability, starting at fourteen months before death.
Q: What will happen to my social security benefits, once I am already on them, and I die?
A: A person who has worked and paid social security taxes may be eligible for survivor’s benefits upon their death. In general, for family members to receive survivor’s social security benefits, ten or so years of work will be needed (though this does vary). The following relatives may be eligible for survivors’ social security benefits:
• A spouse, with full benefits when they reach retirement, or some benefits beginning at age 60
• A disabled spouse aged 50 or over
• Children less than 18 years of age (or as old as 19 if they still attend secondary school)
• Children of any age disabled before the age of 22
• Dependent parents over 62 years of age.