Some people are interested on how SSDI came to be. This 3 part series is for them.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a program that provides financial assistance to individuals
who are unable to work due to a disability. The program is administered by the Social Security
Administration (SSA) and is funded through payroll taxes.
The idea of providing financial assistance to disabled individuals dates back to the 1930s, when
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. At that time, the program was
intended to provide financial support to retired individuals, but it did not initially include provisions for
disability insurance.
It wasn’t until the 1950s that the concept of disability insurance was introduced as part of the Social
Security program. In 1956, Congress passed the Social Security Amendments, which included the
Disability Insurance (DI) program. This program provided financial assistance to individuals who were
unable to work due to a disability, as well as to their dependents.