Workers in Oklahoma who cannot earn incomes due to their long-term disabilities are eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) sponsors an entitlement program for all United States citizens. Eligibility and benefit amounts are determined by the beneficiaries' work histories. The SSA also pays disability benefits to the beneficiaries' family members.
Social Security Disability in Oklahoma
Beneficiaries in Oklahoma are serviced by the Social Security's Dallas Region, which includes this state and four others (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico). There are 33 million beneficiaries in this region who receive disability or other types of SSA benefits. The 250 local field offices are scattered over five states spanning 565,122 square miles. The Navajo Nation, which is in parts of Arizona and Utah, are also serviced by the Dallas Region.
Requirements for Oklahoma Residents
The SSA has several requirements for Oklahoma residents to meet to qualify for disability benefits. First, the SSA has to determine the severity of the applicants' disabilities. Applicants must have injuries or illnesses that will last at least 12 months or are considered terminal. Disabilities must also prevent applicants from doing their current jobs and adjusting to other types of work. Other requirements include applicants paying into Social Security when they worked and acquiring the stated work credits according to their ages.
Benefits and Taxation
The amounts of SSA disability benefits paid to Oklahoma beneficiaries are based on their histories of earnings while they worked. The Social Security Administration calculates disability benefits and mails yearly notifications to eligible Oklahoma residents detailing how much they would receive. Although SSA disability benefits are not considered taxable compensation by the IRS, it could be taxed at normal income tax rates if combined with sources of taxable incomes, such as wages, interest and dividends push beneficiaries' total incomes past the program's limits.
Considerations
According to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, six in 10 applicants are denied SSA disability benefits on their first attempts. However, they won't receive their benefits right away. Once applicants are approved, they must satisfy waiting periods lasting five months before receiving disability payments. The SSA also pays benefits to the beneficiaries' family members. The dependent children, spouses and ex-spouses can receive payments that are 50 percent of the beneficiaries' full disability amounts.
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