When someone is seriously injured while on the job, he or she has a variety of options available for financial recovery; two of these options are his or her state-run Workers’ Compensation program and the federally-run Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. While these two benefit programs can help an employee who is disabled while on the job, there are some key differences between the two.
Who Runs the Program
The first significant difference between the programs is that the SSDI benefit is awarded by the federal government while a Workers’ Compensation program is run by the state.
You will never receive Workers’ Compensation benefits from the same place as your social security benefits, as they are entirely separate programs run by entirely separate entities!
When Someone Is Enrolled in the Program
The second major difference between the programs is the timeframe in which someone enrolls. If a person is enrolled in a Texas Workers’ Compensation program, he or she will have become a part of the program before they started their job.
Therefore, an injured Texas employee seeking relief through a Workers’ Compensation program is enrolled in the system before their accident occurs.
On the other hand, if a person is injured and wants to seek relief through the SSDI program, he or she must attempt to enroll in the program post-accident.
Therefore, an injured Texas employee seeking relief through the Social Security Disability Insurance program is enrolled in the system after their accident occurs.
Who Qualifies for Benefits
The third, and arguably most important, difference between the programs is the qualifications that must be met to receive compensation. In Workers’ Compensation programs, the injured is eligible to receive benefits if he or she is unable to continue working in their current position.
Therefore, someone qualifies for Workers’ Compensation benefits if he or she can no longer perform the job in which he or she is currently employed due to their work injury.
However, the SSID program is different. Under this program, the injured is eligible to receive benefits if he or she is considered “totally disabled.”
Therefore, someone qualifies for SSID benefits if he or she can no longer perform any job function he or she previously performed in his or her life. Additionally, SSID qualifications state that the injured must be unable to perform any meaningful work in any field in which he or she could be reasonably trained.
As you can see, these recovery programs are different from one another in a variety of ways. To determine if you should apply for SSID, or if you should qualify for Texas Workers’ Compensation, contact the Law Offices of George P. Escobedo & Associates!
If you need help with your workers’ compensation claim, call now (210) 807-3178 for a free consultation!
