Social Security Disability: Qualify for Benefits Today

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal assistance program that provides income to people who are no longer able to work because of a disability. To qualify for disability benefits, your condition must prevent you from sustaining any form of “substantial gainful activity” (SGA) and be expected to last for at least twelve months. Also, applicants must have earned sufficient work credits. This usually means that you have worked five of the past ten years and possess twenty work credits. The employment requirement is waived for individuals who became disabled before age twenty-two, since they can use their parents’ work credits to qualify.


To obtain disability benefits, you must also have documentation from a physician stating that you are neither physically nor psychologically capable of performing gainful employment. Without this medical support, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will not award benefits. However, many debilitating and legitimate conditions are difficult to diagnose with standard clinical and/or laboratory procedures. In these instances, disability advocate will present your case properly and attempt to convince the SSA to award you Social Security Disability benefits.


The Social Security Disability Administration (SSA) employs a five-step to process to determine whether an applicant meets the criteria necessary to be considered “disabled.”

 

      1. Are you currently employed?

  • If you are working presently, you cannot qualify for Social Security Disability. If your medical condition prevents you from sustaining any form of gainful employment, continue to Step 2.

2. Is your condition “severe?”

  • The Social Security Administration (SSA) states that your condition must “interfere with basic work-related activities.” If this is true, continue to Step 3.

3. Is your condition listed in Social Security’s List of Disabling Conditions?

  • If your condition can be found in SSA’s list, you automatically qualify for Social Security Disability. If not, proceed to Step 4.

4. Can you perform the work you did previously?

  • Even if your condition is not listed on the SSA’s list of Disabling Conditions, it will be deemed of equal severity if you can no longer perform your previous occupation. If this is so, continue to Step 5.

5. Can you adjust to another line of work?

  • If the SSA determines that you could adjust to another occupation, your application for Social Security Disability will be denied. However, if the SSA states that you are unable to change occupations because of age, past work experience, and/or education, you will be awarded disability benefits.

 

If you believe that you meet the requirements for Social Security Disability or if you are unsure whether you are eligible, contact us by completing our Free, No Obligation Evaluation.