Life can sometimes throw curveballs that limit our ability to work. It can be in the form of an accident or an illness, preventing you from doing your job. When this happens, you might wonder if there’s still a way you can get compensated as you recover.
The good news is that yes, there’s an answer to it, and it’s called Social Security disability. In this article, we’ll talk about what it is, what the safety net can do for you, and how you can know if you’re eligible for it. Read on and find out!
What is Social Security Disability?
Social Security disability, or SSDI for short, is an insurance program by the federal government. The program offers financial help to those who are not able to work. The disability could be physical or mental in nature, with the condition being terminal or lasting for more than a year.
If eligible, you can gain quite a few Social Security disability benefits. However, it’s not a welfare program, and the workers and employers who are looking to get help must have worked for a certain period of time. In addition, they must have paid their Social Security taxes during that time.
How Can I Get Social Security Disability?
Successful filing of SSDI depends on a number of things, including your work history, medical evidence, appeals, and more.
The Social Security Agency, or SSA, has a stringent process for disability. The medical condition is such that you are unable to do ‘substantial gainful activity’, or SGA. Defined further, there’s a threshold of monthly earnings to meet. In addition, the medical condition you’re in must be expected to last 12 months minimum or is terminal. At this time, the agency does not allow disability benefits for partial and temporary disabilities.
Gathering medical evidence to present to the SSA is important. It should be comprehensive, to say the least for you to get a chance for approval. Some of the things they’ll look for include hospital and doctor reports that show how severe the medical condition is and if it limits the individual’s daily functions. They will also look and see the expected duration of the disability. It’s not unusual for the program to have you get checked by a doctor of their choosing via an independent medical examination.
How Long Can I Expect to Wait?
Applying for Social Security Disability can be tedious and lengthy. You can expect to fill out many forms and provide extensive medical proof. That said, you should take your time and make sure your application is accurate and complete.
Even after doing all that, your SSDI application could get denied, but you can counter that with an appeal. At this point, it would be better to have an experienced disability attorney that can guide you through the process and help you win the case.
After the submission and approval, you may have to wait for five months until the first disability payment comes to you. In some cases, family members could also receive benefits.