The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is a state-run program that is designed to give you temporary supplementary disability assistance. Social Security Disability (SSD) is a federal, non-temporary supplementary program. To qualify for SSD, your disability should be expected to last for more than one year.

Medicaid is an entitlement program that covers medical expenses if you financially qualify. Medicare is a program in which to qualify you must be 65+ years old or have received 24 payments of SSD. Medicare typically only covers 80% of medical bills unless you have a supplemental or advantage plan.

Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) is an entitlement program where the individual receiving services must qualify as medically disabled, own less than $2,000 in assets (home and car are exempt from the asset calculation), and have little to no income. Social Security Disability (SSD) is an insurance program that is tied to payroll taxes. You must be medically disabled to qualify. Financial qualifications are based on working credits within the last 60 months. SSD is strictly determined by your ability to work, not your assets or unearned income.

You must fill out an online application, survey, and follow-up paperwork promptly. Social Security will then wait for your medical information to be sent by your doctor. You may be asked to complete an independent medical exam or for additional follow-up information. It is highly recommended that you work with a benefits advisor throughout the application process to answer your questions appropriately.

Adjudication is the approval process of being declared disabled. This process is done by the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) in New York State.

The Medicare Savings Plan (MSP) is a program for those who do not qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford Medicare. Learn more about the financial qualifications here.

The process takes 6 months to 1 year to complete in its entirety. If an appeal is filed, the appeal may take up to 3 years. Please note that Social Security is over 1 million cases behind.

Receiving benefits advisement from an RCAL advisor is free of cost while receiving services from an outside disability advocate or attorney requires you to pay out of pocket. Please note that our benefits advisors are certified by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and are authorized to represent you during Social Security Hearings in New York State.

A person under the age of 18 may be eligible based on the financial qualifications of the parent and/or the type of disability. A child with a developmental disability may be eligible for a waiver which removes the parents' finances from the application. This would be for SSI purposes only. A child may be eligible for SSD under certain conditions as well. Please inquire with an advocate for clarity about your specific circumstances.

Eligibility is dependent on your medical condition, how your medical condition impacts your ability to work, and either your working credits or your financial qualification.

No, this is not true. Many factors in SSA decide who receives approval and who does not.

It is extremely important that you put a lot of honest thought and effort into your application. Answer questions based on your worst day. Respond promptly to follow-up questions (it is the hurry-up-and-wait game!). Work with a benefits advisor to make the process smoother and more clarified.

We can help you with Section 8 Housing application and Recertification forms, Representative Payee applications, SNAP temporary assistance, and other forms required by DSS, and navigating and understanding the rules for if you decide to return to work.