(Newswire.net — June 23, 2019) — The United States’ Social Security system offers paid benefits to those who qualify for disability. It’s a way of ensuring that people unable to work can still cover their bills and lead a happy life. However, the legal and regulatory complexities of Social Security can be hard for an individual to wrap their mind around, requiring outside guidance from a lawyer or other professional. Even if you’ve been disabled, attaining benefits can be challenging.
So how can you tell if you qualify for disability?
High-Level Qualifications
To qualify for disability benefits, you first need to work in an occupation covered by Social Security, which includes most conventional jobs. Then, you’ll need to be formally diagnosed with a medical condition or combination of conditions that conforms with the Social Security definition of disability. If you’re unable to work for a year or more because of your disability, you will likely qualify for ongoing monthly benefits until you’re able to work once again. If you reach your retirement age, benefits will continue, but will be converted to retirement benefits.
Work Credits and Baseline Qualifications
Before qualifying for disability benefits, you’ll need to have worked a minimum amount of time, and recently. The system is based on a series of credits. You’ll earn Social Security work credits proportionate to your annual wages (or income if you’re self-employed). You’ll be able to earn a maximum of 4 credits every year. For the most part, you’ll need at least 40 credits to qualify for benefits, with at least 20 of those credits coming from the past 10 years before you became disabled.
The exact number of credits you need and how you earn credits may change slightly from year to year. There may also be some special exceptions; for example, younger workers generally qualify with fewer work credits.
How Disability Is Considered
Now for the more complex determinations; how does the Social Security system decide whether you are formally disabled?
- Working condition. Disability benefits are for people who are rendered unable to work, or unable to work to their full capacity. If you’re currently working and earning more than $1,220 per month, you won’t be considered disabled.
- Condition severity and length. Next, consider whether your specific affliction significantly limits your ability to do “basic work.” Basic work tasks include, but are not limited to lifting, standing, walking, sitting, and recalling pieces of information. You must be limited in at least one of these basic work capacities for at least 12 months to be considered for disability benefits.
- Specific conditions. The Social Security Administration (SSA) keeps a list of specific medical conditions that are considered severe enough to prevent a person from working a conventional job. This list is fairly comprehensive, so it may take some time to comb through. If your medical condition isn’t included in this list, a human agent must be able to determine that your condition keeps you from working for at least 12 months. For some conditions, approval is nearly immediate; for example, if you’ve been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, leukemia, or Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), you may qualify immediately.
- Working capacity. The SSA will determine whether you’re physically capable of doing the work you’ve done previously. For example, if you were previously required to regularly lift 50 pounds, but can’t any longer, this will increase your chances of qualifying. From there, the SSA will determine whether there is other work you can do, such as desk work.
Other Special Considerations
There are also some special considerations and special situations that require some of these rules to bend. For example, if you are legally blind or if you have low vision, those conditions could be considered in the context of other conditions you may have, increasing your likelihood of qualifying for benefits. If a worker dies, disability benefits may be payable to their widow or widower under certain conditions (i.e., they must be between 50 and 60, and the disability must have started before or within 7 years of the worker’s death). Benefits may also be payable to a disabled child.
Also note that you may qualify for long-term or short-term disability benefits, or partial disability benefits, through a system separate from the SSA. Generally, this requires you to have private disability insurance, which you can purchase as an individual; you may also have this insurance provided by your employer.
Though this guide presents you with a basic outline of how Social Security disability benefits are considered and evaluated, the laws and processes surrounding those benefits are complex. It’s in your best interest to speak with a lawyer or an agent within the agency if you’re in need of further guidance, or if you want to appeal a decision.