Whenever your chronic illness or long-time injury starts bothering you, ask yourself, “do I qualify for disability?” But what is considered a disability? Where and how do I get mine certified?
Begin by familiarizing yourself with the SSDI requirements. SSDI stands for Social Security disability, and the criteria can be stringent. If you think SSD will be your ticket to a fully funded and cushy life, think again!
As we’ll discuss here, you need to qualify for SSDI in multiple ways, and many people who are genuinely suffering have their claims denied anyway, and end up returning to work.
Meeting the SSDI Requirements
When SSDI comes to mind, think of it as a sort of health insurance earned through many years in the workforce—because that’s what it is. If you didn’t work long enough and aren’t considered disabled, you won’t qualify.
There are two broad, encompassing social security disability requirements: Having enough and the right types of work credits and what those evaluating your case believe is the extent of your claimed disability.
SSDI and Work Credits
You earn Social Security credits in most, but not all, types of work and the number you need depend on how long you have worked at a qualifying job. Exceptions are possible, especially to accommodate terminal illness and other hardship cases.
You also need to have earned at least 20 credits in the ten years immediately preceding the onset of your disability. As of 2020, workers receive one credit for every $1,410 of earnings, up to the maximum of four credits per year.
The Severity of Your Disability
When you apply for SSDI, you will need multiple authoritative sources to back your claim—doctors’ recommendations, test results, etc. Among other things, you will need to prove that not only are you unable to work but that you are unable to work at any job.
If you show that you’re able (or potentially able) to work at some job—even if it takes extensive accommodation—there is a fair chance your SSDI reviewers will deny your application.
It can take over a full year to make a final determination on an SSDI case in most cases.
Applying for SSDI: How to Qualify for Disability
What follows are the typical steps needed for even a glimmer of hope at successfully applying for social security disability:
1. The Initial Application
At this stage, you first file an SSDI application with your local SSA office. Sadly, there’s every chance the application will be denied
2. Request for Reconsideration
If you decide to persist with your application, you have 60 days from the denial date to file a Request for Reconsideration (“recon”). If you’re fortunate, your application will be approved in this round.
3. Request for Hearing.
If you’re not so lucky, you’ll find yourself at this stage. You’ll have 60 days from the date of your most recent denial to file a Request for Hearing, a formal trial where you plead your case before an administrative law judge.
If you want your hearing to succeed, we heartily advise you to retain an experienced disability attorney to guide you through the process.
4. A final Denial?
After waiting months for a decision on the hearing, if you find your request is still isn’t approved, it’s time to start a new application with an attorney helping form the start.
If You Want to Get Disability Compensation, Persist
You knew what you were getting into with your SSDI application, but you owed it to yourself to try. Now you understand the SSDI requirements as well.
After all, with a disability, only the person experiencing it can fully comprehend it. So your job is to help the gatekeepers feel what you’re feeling.
We sincerely wish you the best of luck when you try!
If you want and need more practical information like this, keep coming back to our website. We cover it all!
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