When you retire at age 65, you can collect retirement benefits and Medicare from the Social Security Administration if you have worked enough years and have paid in enough money. You can also get early retirement at age 62 at a lower monthly rate and without Medicare Benefits. However, if you become unable to work because of a disability before age 65, you can receive benefits as disability payments, and also become eligible for Medicare.

    Once you have been qualified to receive Social Security Disability benefit, the amount of your Social Security disability claim settlement is based on your lifetime average earnings covered by Social Security. The higher your social security wages were, the more your monthly benefit check is likely to be. If you are working while receiving benefits, or also draw another type of disability benefit, your social security check may be reduced. Some disabled persons may also be eligible for other types of benefits; when this happens, it can affect the amount of Social Security disability claim settlement you receive. Some examples of other benefits include worker’s compensation and disability payments from certain state, federal or local government, civil service or military programs.
 
    Generally, Social Security disability claim settlement is paid each month. The day on which you receive you payment depends on the birth date of the person on whose work record you receive benefits. If you are getting disability benefits on your own work record or on a deceased spouse's record, your Social Security disability claim settlement cannot begin before the sixth full month of disability. If the sixth month has passed, your first payment may include some back payments.
 
    Your Social Security disability claim settlement can either be mailed to you or deposited into your bank account. Furthermore, your Social Security disability claim settlement can generally continue as long as you cannot work and your impairment has not medically improved. You can expect your Social Security disability claim settlement amount to go up in future years. Whenever the cost of living goes up in a year, benefits will be increased by that amount the following January. If there is an increase, you will get a notice telling you about it. You do not have to apply for this increase; it comes automatically.

    Your Social Security disability claim settlement may be affected if you marry (unless you are getting disability benefits on your own record), if you receive certain other types of disability payments, or if you go to certain countries. Thus, if you think you are qualified to apply for a disability benefit you should contact a lawyer specializing in this type of cases to better protect your rights and know your legal options.