Like other states, Oklahoma has a workers’ compensation system. Employees in this state who get hurt on the job can, among other benefits, receive some compensation for lost wages.
While helpful, this compensation does not pay for everything. A person permanently disabled because of a work injury may also need to find other means of support. Social Security Disability is one such means of support.
Even if they are also drawing workers’ compensation benefits, a worker who has been permanently sidelined because of a job-related illness or injury can also file for disability benefits and, so long as they qualify, obtain them.
Workers’ comp and Social Security do involve two different applications, as one is a state-run program and the other is federal.
There is one other important caveat, and that is that the Social Security Administration may cap the amount of benefits it pays each month if a disabled person is also receiving workers’ compensation.
Specifically, a person may not receive more than 80% of the average wages they were earning before they become disabled from both Social Security and workers’ compensation combined.
To give an example, if a person earned $3,000 a month before their disability, then 80% of their earnings would be $2,400 a month. If they are receiving, say, $1,200 a month from workers’ compensation, then the must Social Security would pay is $1,200 a month, even if they otherwise were eligible for more.
Even with this limitation, though, disability payments through the Social Security Administration can provide further financial support for Oklahoma City workers and their families as they try to navigate a very difficult situation.