Social Security Disability Insurance is a federally-funded program (meaning that it’s not affected by local or state laws) which is administered by the SSA or the Social Security Administration. According to the Urban Institute, the program benefited approximately 9 million disabled workers in the country. That’s 6 times greater than the number of people who benefitted in 1970.
For most people, completing the application process can be a daunting task. It’s filled with rules and regulations that most people find confusing. To ease the process and increase your chance of success, in this blog, we’ll list the qualification criteria for social security disability insurance.
You Must Fit SSA’s Definition of Disabled
According to the Social Security Administration, a person is classified as disabled if they meet the following conditions:
- The illness or condition will last for at least a year or eventually result in death.
- Greatly limit basic bodily functions like sitting, walking, standing, or retaining information.
- Have at least one list of impairments included in the “Blue Book”
- The condition prevents the person from engaging in work.
Be Unable to do a Job for which you Possess the Necessary Qualifications
You must no longer be able to do the job you were engaged in before you became disabled and also every other job which you’re qualified for. The SSA also looks out for “transferrable skills” to determine if there is any other sort of work you can do despite your condition.
You Must Have the Required Amount of Work Credits
Whenever someone pays social security taxes based on their income, they accumulate work points or credits. According to the Social Security Administration, a person earns one credit for every $1,360 of income in 2019. The maximum number of credits that can be earned in a single year is 4 which equates to $5,440 in income.
To qualify for social security disability benefits you need to have earned a certain number of credits. However, this also depends on the age at which you became disabled.
You must have earned less than Substantial Gainful Activity
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) is the least amount of money earned from work which disqualifies an applicant from SSDI. In 2018, the amount was set at $1,180. According to the SSA, anyone who earns more than this amount won’t be classified as being disabled.
The application process for SSDI is lengthy, time-consuming, and confusing to most people. The Law Offices of Lisa Douglas SSI Disability lawyer in Little Rock. They have the experience and knowledge to help you successfully file a disability claim.
Contact us today for more information!
