What is the difference between Social Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security (SS), and public assistance (welfare)? How can someone apply?

83. What is the difference between Social
Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Social Security (SS),
and public assistance (welfare)? How can
someone apply?

There are many government programs, particularly at
the state and federal level, which can assist with
healthcare coverage and financial assistance for eligible
recipients. There are also types of private insurance
policies, such as long-term care insurance or private
disability insurance, and many other government programs
not discussed here. However, some of the most
common programs, along with brief descriptions of
each program, are provided in the following list. For
more comprehensive information on public assistance,
or for information on programs not mentioned here,
refer to the resources provided in this section and at
the end of this book.


Public assistance = A federally run program to provide 
cash benefits (e.g., food stamps, welfare) for persons 
with a low income to purchase food and clothing and 
to pay for housing.


• Social Security Disability (SSD; U.S. Social
Security Administration; www.ssa.gov): Provides
monthly income to disabled workers and their families
based on prior payroll contribution and disabled
status. If a person becomes disabled before the age
he or she is eligible for full Social Security benefits,
he or she can receive SSD payments after 6 months
if he or she has:
1. enough Social Security credits, and
2. a physical or mental impairment that is expected
to prevent the person from doing substantial
work for a year or more, or a condition that is
expected to result in death.

• Social Security (SS; U.S. Social Security Administration;
www.ssa.gov): Social Security provides monthly
payments to persons age 65 and over and to surviving
family members (after the recipient’s death, including
dependents). Eligibility entails contributing to
Social Security during a person’s previous work history,
and the amount of payment is based on a formula
that considers the amount contributed during
that history.

• Veterans Benefits: If a person is a U.S. veteran, contact
the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate
veterans’ benefits for which he or she is
eligible (including possible financial assistance
and/or medical care). Qualified veterans can also
receive discounts on prescription drugs.

Veterans’ benefits = Financial and/or medical care and
discounted prescription drugs that may be available
for U.S. veterans.

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI; U.S. Social
Security Administration, www.ssa.gov): Provides
monthly income to eligible people over the age of
65, or to blind or disabled people, with low income,
few assets, and/or limited formal work history. SSI
may also provide benefits for people waiting for
SSD payments to begin. U.S. citizenship is
required, with few exceptions. If you are eligible for
SSI, you may also be eligible for Medicaid, food
stamps, and other assistance.

• Public Assistance (welfare/food stamps; individual
states’ Department of Social Services): Provides
cash benefits to low-income persons for food, clothing,
and shelter. Benefits vary depending on assets,
income, rent/mortgage, living arrangements, work
expenses, and other special needs. Some states
require recipients to work, and if they are unable to
work due to illness, the agencies may require a
physician’s examination as confirmation. Food
stamps provide a monthly allotment of coupons for
low-income households to purchase food at grocery
stores and meals in some restaurants.