The Social Security Act is a Federal Law Governing Social Security Eligibility
The Social Security Act is a federal law governing an applicant’s eligibility for Social Security benefits. It is administered through the Social Security Administration, which determines retirement benefits, survivor benefits, and disability benefits to provide income for eligible retirees, family members of deceased beneficiaries and for disabled persons unable to work. The Social Security Act also establishes two disability programs, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provide benefits to people with disabilities. These programs are all funded by payroll tax deductions. This means that American workers provide the funding for Social Security through Social Security tax. Once a worker is in the system, he or she starts earning credits towards future Social Security benefits. Once a person is eligible for benefits, he or she may apply to the Social Security Administration to receive them.
The Social Security Act contains specific requirements qualifications for retirement and disability benefits. These qualifications, such as the list of disabilities that qualify for benefits, are being continuously updated and revised. In order to find out the most up to date information on these laws and how they affect your ability to receive benefits, you may want to contact a Social Security lawyer.