Do You Need Answers on Qualifying for Social Security Disability? Read On.
When your health takes a turn for the worse and disrupts your ability to do your job, Social Security Disability is supposed to be there for you. The monthly checks it provides are a lifeline to a steadier life as bills pile up and you and your family face an uncertain future.
But gaining Social Security Disability benefits is more than just telling the government that working is out of reach for you.
Qualifying under Social Security Disability Insurance is complicated. You’ll need to demonstrate what conditions qualify you for disability and how your symptoms impact your ability to manage the demands of daily life. You’ll need to convincingly fill out your application.
Only two out of every five initial applications have been successful in recent years.
Social Security can deny disability claims for the smallest technical reasons, even when it’s obvious that your condition should qualify for benefits.
To win disability benefits, the first step is to determine that your condition fits the definition of “disabled” under the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) guidelines.
Nash Disability Law has helped thousands of people in the Chicago area through this process over the last 40 years.
If you’re wondering how to qualify for disability in Chicago and where to even start, we’re happy to talk to you, free of charge, about your claim for disability benefits.
WE’VE HELPED MORE PEOPLE IN THE CHICAGO AREA WIN BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER LAW FIRM.
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Do I Qualify for Disability Benefits as Social Security Sees It?
Under Social Security’s rules, you’re “disabled” if you have a medical condition or injury that will keep you out of work for at least 12 months.
That doesn’t mean you’ve already had your impairment for 12 months, just that there’s little chance you can recover enough to work sooner than that.
Your impairment can be physical, mental or a combination of health problems.
In general, Social Security considers you disabled if:
- You cannot do work that you did before
- You cannot adjust to other work because of your health condition.
- You’re sure to meet the one-year requirement of being off work.
Social Security runs two disability benefits programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for people knocked out of the workforce and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for people with little recent work history and financial resources.
The non-health related requirements for disability benefits are that you must have a substantial enough work record to be eligible for SSDI, and you must have low enough financial assets—like savings, investments and property other than your primary home—to qualify for SSI.
For either one, you can’t be working too much and also qualify for disability benefits. If you make more from work each month than what Social Security calls “substantial gainful activity” or SGA, you won’t qualify for benefits.
You can find out more about how to qualify for disability in Chicago in your particular case by getting a free consultation with the skilled disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law.
