Qualifying for Social Security disability benefits can be a difficult and stressful process. If you think you might be eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you should be aware of the process the Social Security Administration uses to determine eligibility. Knowing these steps in advance may help save you a lot of trouble and stress in the long run.
Disability Benefits Overview
Eligibility for Social Security disability benefits is usually described as a five-step process.
- If you are currently working and making over a predetermined amount per month, you cannot be considered for disability benefits except in very special cases. Currently, the maximum amount of monthly income is $1,040 per month. Any more than this will disqualify you for disability benefits.
- Your condition must be considered severe enough to affect your ability to perform work-related tasks. This is generally the most difficult and contentious point to prove in order to obtain disability benefits. Basically, you must have a condition that medically prevents you from earning money at a job.
- Your condition must match one of the accepted conditions for Social Security disability according to a list that the Social Security Administration maintains.
- If your condition does not match one of the conditions on the list, further determination of your condition must be done to determine whether it affects your ability to do the work you previously did, and also to determine whether you are able to perform other types of work.
It is notoriously difficult to meet the above conditions, but in many cases that is for good reason. Social Security disability is an advantage that all too many people are eager to try and exploit, and so the administration is forced to be very thorough in its research and criteria. If you think you qualify, talk to your social security disability lawyer today.