Can I Determine My Own SSD Eligibility?
If you were recently injured or diagnosed with a serious illness that has left you disabled, you may be considering whether you should apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. These benefits are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), and a person’s eligibility is based on both a medical requirement and a work requirement. You may be wondering if you can determine your own eligibility before you go through the steps of applying. While the SSA will ultimately make the eligibility determination, you can certainly work with a lawyer to assess your likely eligibility based on the two key requirements.
Requirement 1: Medical Eligibility
In order to be eligible for SSDI payments, you will need to provide medical evidence that shows you have a medical condition that: 1) is either expected to last for at least 12 months or to result in your death, and 2) prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity, known as SGA (in other words, meaningful employment).
You can discuss your likelihood of meeting this requirement with your health care team and your national SSD eligibility attorney.
Requirement 2: Recent Work Test and Duration Work Test
In addition to the medical requirement discussed above, the non-medical requirement for being eligible for SSDI benefits is based on a recent work test and duration work test. In short, you must have worked recently enough, and for a long enough period over time, to have enough Social Security work “credits” to qualify for SSDI. How many credits do you need, and how can you check your number of credits?
If you are under the age of 24, you will generally need to have 6 credits earned over the last three-year period. If you are between the ages of 24 and 31, you will need to have enough credits for “working half the time between age 21 and the time your disability began,” according to the SSA. For age 31 or older at the time of disability, you will need to have at least 20 credits over the previous 10-year period. A person can earn up to 4 credits per working year.
How can you find out how many credits you currently have, and thus whether you have enough to meet the eligibility requirements? You will need to apply for your Social Security Statement, which you can do online. If you have any questions about your credits, the recent work test, or the duration work test, an SSD eligibility lawyer can help.
Contact Our National SSD Eligibility Attorney Today for Assistance
Do you want to find out more about your eligibility for SSDI benefits and seeking payments due to your disability? An experienced national SSD eligibility lawyer at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can discuss your case with you today. As soon as you are ready, we can begin working with you on your SSDI application and helping you to obtain the disability benefits you need. Contact our firm for more information about how we can assist you.
Sources:
ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html
ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-01741.html
