Individuals who cannot work can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance, commonly known as SSDI. This program provides financial support to individuals unable to work due to a disability. To qualify for SSDI benefits, applicants must meet specific criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
If you have a disability that prevents you from substantial gainful employment (SGA), you may be eligible for SSDI if you are unable to work. However, it’s not enough just to be disabled. There are specific qualifying conditions for SSDI, as well as eligibility criteria a person must meet to be eligible.
Eligibility for SSDI Benefits
To be eligible for SSDI, you’ll need to have a qualifying condition as well as worked long enough to qualify. You must also show that your disability is serious enough to inhibit you from working. SSDI can continue until you can transition back into full-time employment.
To be eligible for SSDI benefits, you must have worked in jobs covered by Social Security and have a medical condition that meets the SSA’s strict definition of disability. The SSA considers you disabled if:
- You cannot do work you did before
- You cannot adjust to other work due to your medical condition(s)
- Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or result in death
Additionally, you must have earned enough work credits. This number is based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income.
Qualifying Conditions For SSDI
The Social Security Administration has its listing of impairments, known as its “Blue Book.” The Blue Book contains the most common impairments that are known to prevent someone from working:
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Special Senses and Speech
- Respiratory Disorders
- Cardiovascular System
- Digestive Disorders
- Genitourinary Disorders
- Hematological Disorders
- Skin Disorders
- Endocrine Disorders
- Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
- Neurological Disorders
- Mental Disorders
- Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
- Immune System Disorders
Some severe conditions may qualify for presumptive disability, which allows for immediate benefit payments while your application is being processed, including:
- Loss of a leg at the hip
- Total deafness in at least one ear
- Total blindness in at least one eye
- Immobility without a wheelchair
- A spinal cord injury that prevents you from walking on your own
- A stroke more than three months prior that causes difficulty using the arm or hand
- End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
The SSA also maintains a Compassionate Allowances List for conditions that are so severe they almost always qualify for SSDI. This list includes conditions such as:
- ALS, aka “Lou Gehrig’s disease”
- Certain advanced cancers
- Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
Just having a specific medical condition does not automatically qualify you for SSDI, and you’ll still need to show that you’re disabled. Even if your condition isn’t listed in SSA’s Blue Book, you can still file a claim for SSDI. Just like the conditions in the Blue Book, you’ll still be required to demonstrate how your conditions meet the definition of “disability,” and are just as limiting and disabling.
Houston’s Social Security Disability Insurance Attorney
The laws surrounding Social Security Disability claims are complex and the process can be difficult to maneuver. The process is complex and daunting, and many SSDI applications are denied the first time they are submitted. With an experienced disability law firm to help, you can get your application completed right the first time and have a better chance of receiving the benefits you deserve.
We’ve helped over 4,000 Houstonians get SSDI and other disability benefits. The Herren Law Firm in Houston, TX can assist with your application, appeals, and records gathering to prove your case and win your claim. Contact us today at 713-682-8194 (or use our online contact form) to schedule your free consultation. There’s no obligation, and no up-front fees, and we only collect a fee if we win your case.
