In 2011 the Social Security Administration (SSA) will receive millions of claims for Social Security Disability benefits. In the State of Rhode Island, more than five percent of the population receives monthly disability payments from the SSA and thousands more are expected to apply this year. Unfortunately, most of these applications will be denied during the initial stage of the claim process. Statistics show that the SSA denies approximately 70 percent of the initial claims received each year.

Each and every year, millions of Americans submit claims for Social Security Disability benefits. In the state of New Hampshire, more than 40,000 residents are already receiving monthly disability payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This year many more will apply. While the initial application process only takes a New Hampshire Social Security Disability applicant three to four months to complete, a large percentage of these applications are denied.

A little over 1 million people live in the state of Nebraska. Out of these residents, approximately 3.7 percent receive a monthly disability benefit from the Social Security Administration (SSA). With each New Year, thousands of Nebraska Social Security Disability applicants will submit new disability claims to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Unfortunately, nearly 70 percent of these claims will be denied during the initial stage of the application process.

More than half a million people live in the State of Delaware. Of these residents, approximately 4.6 percent receive Social Security Disability payments. When a worker is unable to continue full-time work activity due to a long-term or permanent disability, the average monthly Delaware Social Security Disability benefit of $1,120.70 can really help make ends meet. Unfortunately, it's not always as easy to obtain Social Security Disability benefits as one may think.

The are over 1.1 million residents that live in the state of West Virginia. Of those one-million plus residents, approximately 8.7 percent receive monthly disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Every year, literally thousands West Virginia residents will apply for Social Security Disability benefits. The fact of the matter is that more than 70 percent of the disability claims filed by West Virginia Social Security Disability applicants are denied by the Social Security Administration.

Each year millions of Americans submit claims for disability benefits to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In Idaho, approximately four percent of the population receives monthly Social Security Disability payments. Thousands more will apply for disability benefits in Idaho this year and an overwhelming 70 percent of these claims will be denied if history is any indication of future approval rates. These applicants must then pursue the lengthy and complicated disability appeal process in order to obtain the benefits they may truly be entitled to.

Utah is home to some 1.6 million residents. Of these residents, approximately 2.5 percent receive Social Security Disability benefits. Thousands of Utah residents will file new Social Security Disability claims this year. If the past is any indication of the rate of future approvals, more than half of these claims are rejected by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

There are approximately 1.6 million residents living in the State of Nevada. Of this population, approximately 3.2 percent receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In the coming year, there will be thousands of new Nevada Social Security Disability claims. Although some Nevada Social Security Disability applicants are able to obtain disability benefits in just a few short months, a large number of disability claimants must wait a year or more before being awarded the disability benefits they vitally need.

If you are the widow (or widower) of a worker who was covered by Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you may qualify for Social Security Disability Survivors’ benefits. You may be entitled to full benefits when you reach retirement age (65-67, depending on when you were born). You may also qualify for full benefits if you are responsible for the care of the deceased’s children, as long as they are 16 years old or younger.

You may even qualify for survivor’s benefits if your ex-husband or wife is eligible for SSDI. If your marriage lasted at least ten years, and you meet the other qualifications set forth by the Social Security Administration (SSA), you could receive SSDI survivor’s benefits based upon your ex-husband’s eligibility.

Your spouse’s eligibility for SSDI is based upon how much he has worked and paid into FICA. The requirements regarding how much he needs to have worked in order to qualify for SSDI vary depending on his age at the time of death. In any case, those who have worked for 10 years and paid into FICA are eligible for SSDI.

If you are not currently receiving Social Security Disability benefits, and your husband or wife has died, contact the SSA right away to apply for survivors’ benefits. In most cases, you will receive back pay based on the date you applied, rather than on the date of your late spouse’s death. If you are caring for the deceased’s minor children, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits even if your marriage didn’t last the requisite 10 years.

You can apply for Social Security Disability benefits via the Internet or the telephone. You may also apply in person at a SSA Field Office. When you apply, you should bring documentation proving your spouse’s death (such as a death certificate or statement issued by the funeral home), proof of your spouse’s income (such as the most recent W-2 or pay stubs), your Social Security number, your late spouse’s Social Security number, your marriage certificate, and your divorce certificate (if applicable). Whenever possible, you should bring original documents. If you don’t have original documents, you will need a certified copy.

If you desire direct deposit of your Social Security Disability survivor’s benefits, you should also bring your banking information. This should include your account numbers and routing numbers as well as the name of your bank or financial institution.

You are entitled to representation by a qualified Social Security disability representative. If your initial claim is not accepted in a timely manner, consider hiring an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer to help you with the appeals process, as this will increase your chances of having your claim accepted quickly.

If you are already receiving SSDI benefits based upon your own work (and subsequent disability), you should still apply for survivors benefits if your spouse earned a higher income than you did. While you will not be eligible to receive both your own and survivor’s benefits, you will be eligible to receive whichever of the two is higher. You will, of course, need to bring in the appropriate documentation showing that your spouse has passed away.

In some limited situations, pensions which you are receiving may alter the amount of Social Security disability benefits you are entitled to. This includes pensions from jobs which did not require you (or your spouse) to pay into the Social Security Disability Insurance program through FICA.

While the process for claiming Social Security survivor’s benefits is not difficult, you should apply as soon after your spouse’s death as practicable.

You may qualify for SSD Benefits

If you have unpaid, seriously overdue debts, which you have been court ordered to pay, one of the things your creditors can do is petition your state’s court system to allow a garnishment. When a writ of garnishment is issued, your assets can be frozen, allowing your creditors to clear out your bank accounts and garnish a percentage of your wages or other income. The amount of income which may be garnished varies somewhat from state to state.