Legal Definitions - Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD)

Social SecurityDisability Insurance (SSD)

Social Security Disability Insurance is a program run by the federal government that provides financial assistance to workers who have become disabled or injured and their families. To be eligible for SSD, the worker must have paid Social Security taxes and worked for a certain amount of time.

• A construction worker who falls from a scaffold and becomes paralyzed may be eligible for SSD benefits.
• A teacher who develops a chronic illness that prevents them from working may be eligible for SSD benefits.

These examples illustrate how SSD provides financial assistance to workers who have become disabled or injured and are unable to work. The program helps to ensure that these individuals and their families have a source of income to support themselves during a difficult time.