- Workers’ Comp vs. SSDI: Understanding Your Disability Benefits When you become disabled due to an injury, you may hear about both workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). While both are designed to help disabled individuals, they are completely different programs. This video will break down the key differences between Pennsylvania workers’ compensation and federal SSDI.
- Workers’ Comp is State-Run and “No-Fault”: We’ll explain that workers’ compensation is a state-run program. It is a no-fault system that provides benefits for injuries that are directly caused by your employment.
- SSDI is Federal and for Long-Term Disability: We’ll explain that SSDI is a federal program run by the Social Security Administration. It provides benefits for individuals who have a long-term disability that prevents them from working at all, regardless of how the disability occurred.
- Eligibility Requirements: We’ll outline the different eligibility requirements:
- Workers’ Comp: Requires you to have been injured on the job.
- SSDI: Requires you to have a disability that has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months, and you must have worked long enough and paid enough into Social Security to qualify.
- The Benefits: We’ll clarify the different types of benefits:
- Workers’ Comp: Covers a portion of your lost wages and all of your medical bills for the work injury.
- SSDI: Provides a monthly cash payment, but does not cover medical bills (although you may become eligible for Medicare after a waiting period).
This video is for any injured worker in Pennsylvania who is confused about the difference between these two important benefit programs.