Getting Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits

Introduction

There are two U.S. federal Social Security Administration programs designed to provide disability benefits for those whose ability to work has been impaired by injury, illness, or other disabilities. These programs are called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To qualify for benefits under these programs, you are required to prove that you cannot perform any work that suits your age, experience, and education for at least one year or that your disability is terminal.

Main Item

Your eligibility for Social Security benefits is determined on the basis of:

• Current work status
• Duration of medical impairment
• Inclusion of impairment or illness in SSA regulations
• Ability to perform work you have done before
• Availability of lighter work you can still do

Under SSDI, the amount of benefits paid is based on the Social Security taxes you have already paid as well as financial need. SSDI benefits may also be available to the children of workers with disabilities.

Applying for Disability Benefits

The application and approval process for Social Security disability benefits is complex and very time-intensive. To be successful, you must compile all medical documentation related to your medical condition or disability and often extensive knowledge of the Social Security bureaucracy is required. It is very difficult to fulfill the requirements for Social Security disability benefits without making mistakes in the application process. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Social Security disability claims are denied on the first try.

If your claim has already been denied, a Social Security disability lawyer can help you finally get the disability benefits you deserve. If you have been denied, do not lose hope. With help from a Social Security disability specialist including non-attorneys and attorneys, who knows how the system works in your area, you can appeal the decision and even get it overturned. If your Social Security disability attorney helps you overturn a denial, you may even be entitled to past-due benefits.

The application process for Social Security disability benefits is designed to make it difficult for individuals to defraud the government and claim benefits they do not deserve. While fraud prevention is an important goal, the system is so strict that often legitimate Social Security disability claims are denied because applicants do not provide sufficient documentation.