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Social Security Disability Attorneys

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Social Security Disability Attorneys

In June 2017, according to the U.S Social Security Administration,  8.8 million Americans were receiving disability payments to the sum of $10.3 billion. It is estimated that nearly 62 million Americans will receive approximately $955 billion in Social Security benefits for entire year of 2017.

Obtaining Social Security disability payments is one of the most difficult financial processes, due in large part to the massive number of fraudulent disability claims attempted every year.

Many applications will be rejected the first time that they are filed which causes many that are genuinely eligible to receive these benefits to become discouraged, even give up filing again.

The Primary Types of Social Security Disability Benefits

The US government has created four main types of Social Security Benefits, in an effort to cater to almost all of the nearly 2 million Social Security disability applicants who file every year.

Specific eligibility criteria must be met in order to qualify for benefits. The categories of Social Security disability benefits include:

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI):

SSDI benefits provide financial assistance to those that have sustained an injury so severe they are unable to return to work. However, in order to be eligible, the injured victim must have worked for at least five (5) of the last ten (10) years.

Supplementary Security Income (SSI):

SSI benefits are similar to SSDI but differ slightly. They are both available to disabled adults and children but SSI benefits are based on the income of the applicant instead of how many years that applicant has been employed.

Disabled Widow’s Benefits (DWB):

DWB benefits provide assistance to widows and widowers that have become disabled following the death of their spouse. Note; there are specific time constraints in regards to the death of a spouse that apply to this benefit.

Disabled Child (DC):

DC benefits offer financial aid to a child that has become disabled prior to the age of 22 years old. The parents of the child must either be deceased or currently receive benefits themselves to be eligible for this type of benefit.

All of these types of disability payments are based upon a Social Security earnings record. If the applicant meets the criteria and is eligible to receive the benefits, the benefits will be awarded, regardless of personal financial standings.

What are the Application Requirements?

Each type of disability claim has its own criteria but there are some common guidelines that applicants must abide by in order to be considered for benefits.

This list of eligibility requirements can include (but is not limited to):

  • The applicant must be unable to work at their previous type of job.
  • The applicant must be unable to perform any other available work.
  • The applicant must have been disabled or impaired for at least 12 months.
  • The injury of the applicant must conform to the federal definition of “severe impairment.”
  • The applicant must be unemployed when the request is filed.

As with any government application, there is always the possibility that the application may be denied.

Medical Conditions that are Eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance

Unfortunately, a debilitating injury often prevents a person from returning to the workforce.

There are a number of different injuries and medical conditions that may make a person eligible to receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.

These types of common injuries and medical conditions include (but are not limited to):

  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Asthma or other respiratory problems
  • Back ailments
  • Depression
  • Seizure disorders such as asthma
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Heart conditions
  • Stroke
  • Obesity
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD
  • Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
  • Loss of eyesight or blindness
  • HIV or AIDS

Always obtain and secure all of the documentation related to your injury – Doctor’s notes, insurance claims, medical records, etc. – should those documents and records need to be submitted along with your Social Security disability application.

References

  1. https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/factsheets/basicfact-alt.pdf
Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions.
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