812-213-4551What Qualifies for Social Security Disability in Evansville?
We Are a Legal Team Providing Compassionate Disability Determination Services to Help Disabled Individuals Receive the Monthly Benefits They Deserve
The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers various benefits to individuals with disabilities who are in need of financial assistance. Depending on your circumstances, work history, age, income, and medical or mental impairment, you may qualify for different programs.
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program provides federal financial assistance to individuals of all ages who have significant mental or physical impairments. The SSI program is needs-based, which only requires that applicants be of limited income or resources, as well as meeting other requirements such as being able to show that they suffer from severe medical or mental disorders and expect to endure these disorders over a continuous period.
Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) is the other primary federal government source for disability payments. To be eligible for SSDI benefits, applicants must demonstrate that they are considered disabled, have the necessary work credits, and have paid the required Social Security taxes.
You may be eligible to receive benefits from both programs. At our law office, we will examine your case to determine whether you qualify to receive disability benefits from one or both programs. Additionally, our Evansville attorneys will discuss the possibility of helping you apply for other programs and resources.
To learn more about the benefits of retaining our legal services, please contact our law firm to schedule a complimentary initial consultation with our experienced team of attorneys today.
What Are SSDI Benefits and What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
The SSDI program provides financial assistance to individuals who qualify. Social Security taxes fund the program. To be eligible to receive these benefits, SSDI recipients must show that they meet specific health, income, work, and age requirements.
The Social Security Administration uses national average wage indexes to calculate substantial gainful activity income limits for hopeful applicants. If an SSDI applicant earns more than the substantial gainful activity limit, they may be classified as substantially gainfully employed, which will likely result in them not being classified as disabled. The substantial gainful activity limits change every year. To learn more about the limits, please contact our Evansville lawyers.
Additionally, to successfully apply for SSDI benefits, you must have a qualifying medical condition that prevents you from working for at least one year. You may also be able to apply for SSDI payments if your health condition is considered terminal and is expected to result in your ultimate passing. Certain health conditions meet the legal definitions of disability, whereas others do not. We can assist you throughout the application process and help determine whether your conditions meet the eligibility criteria.
Provided you have a qualifying medical condition and meet the income requirements, you are eligible to apply for SSDI benefits until your retirement age. Once you reach your retirement age, SSDI payments may stop, but you may be able to receive Social Security retirement benefits instead.
SSDI applicants must also meet specific work requirements. You can earn up to four work credits per year, and, in most SSDI cases, you need at least 40 work credits to be eligible for benefits, which is roughly equivalent to a decade’s worth of Social Security tax payments. There may be certain exceptions to the 40-credit rule, provided the disabled individuals are below a specific age.
Are You Eligible to Receive SSI Payments?
Anyone over the age of 65, as well as those with qualifying disabilities (such as blindness and multiple other conditions), may potentially be eligible for SSI payments. Hopeful applicants must also demonstrate that they have limited income and resources.
Other requirements may also apply, such as being a U.S. citizen or holding a specific immigration status. Additionally, applicants must not be confined to institutions, such as hospitals or prisons, and they may be asked to apply for other cash benefits and payments for which they may be ineligible.
For the purposes of applying for SSI benefits, income includes any income earned for employment, as well as money received from other sources, such as workers’ compensation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and income received from friends or relatives. Limited resources mean proving that you have limited bank account assets, land ownership, stocks and bonds, and other personal property.
Do Any Physical or Mental Conditions Automatically Make an Individual Eligible for Disability Benefits?
There is no definitive answer to the question of what medical conditions automatically render an individual eligible for receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration. The closest thing you will find to an answer to this question is the Social Security Blue Book, which has an extensive listing of impairments that may potentially qualify for disability benefits.
SSA blue book listings are divided into sections for adults and children, and Social Security representatives must review how a disability impacts a particular condition, depending on the applicant’s age. The adult section is divided into 14 categories, which represent types of disorders based on various body systems.
The categories in the adult section of the Social Security Blue Book include the following:
- Musculoskeletal system disabilities
- Endocrine disorders
- Skin disorders
- Chronic kidney disease
- Cancer
- Special senses and speech disorders, such as low vision or impaired hearing
- Respiratory illnesses
- Digestive system disorders
- Neurological disorders
- Cognitive and mental health conditions
- Blood disorders
- Cardiovascular illnesses
- Congenital disorders
- Immune system diseases
The child section of the SSA Blue Book encompasses the same 14 categories as the adult section, but adds one specific childhood-specific category, which refers to failure to thrive and low birth weight.
What Are Qualifying Medical Conditions According to the Social Security Administration (SSA)?
Some of the qualifying medical conditions that may make an individual eligible to receive disability benefits include the following:
- Arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders that render an individual unable to walk or perform dexterous movements, such as typing, writing, and activities required for work.
- Degenerative disc diseases, which typically affect individuals over the age of 60, may render the disabled person unable to walk or sit in a particular position for an extended period.
- Heart diseases, which are among the deadliest conditions in the U.S., can result in congenital heart defects and heart failure.
- Immune system disorders, such as HIV, and autoimmune illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis
- Most cancers qualify at Stage III or beyond, but some other aggressive cancers can be eligible with a diagnosis from a medical professional.
- Nervous system disorders, such as severe epilepsy, may make an individual qualify for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration.
- Respiratory illnesses, such as COPD, affect a startlingly high number of individuals.
- Strokes, which can make individuals unable to walk without assistance or communicate, often qualify disabled people for Social Security disability benefits.
- While diabetes is not typically considered a disabling condition, when it becomes especially severe, applicants may potentially qualify.
Other examples of disorders that may qualify for benefits include cerebral palsy, circulatory system disorders, severe vision problems, Parkinson’s disease, symptoms resulting from traumatic brain injuries, HIV, sickle cell disease, bowel and liver disease, cystic fibrosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, loss of limbs, and other conditions.
What Types of Mental Health Disorders May Qualify for Disability Benefits?
To prove that you are eligible for benefits because of a mental health condition, you are often required to present convincing medical records from mental health specialists, such as psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists.
Examples of mental impairments that could qualify an individual for disability benefits include the following:
- Autism spectrum disorders, which can be noticed by abnormalities and the development of cognitive skills, short attention spans, impulsiveness, unusual aggressiveness, and self-injurious behaviors.
- Intellectual disorders are characterized by proving that an individual has significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning. Signs of a serious intellectual impairment may include substandard social, conceptual, and practical skills indicative of adaptive functioning in society.
- Neurocognitive disorders, such as severe cases of dementia, Alzheimer’s, vascular malformation, progressive brain tumors, Huntington’s disease, and more
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders and cases of extreme anxiety. Symptoms of these disorders can include restlessness, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, fatigue, panic and anxiety attacks, and constant worry about one’s safety.
- Personality and impulse control disorders, which are characterized by continuous periods of inflexible, pervasive, and maladaptive patterns of behavior.
- Psychotic disorders, including those from the schizophrenia spectrum. These impairments are characterized by worrying delusions, disorganized speech patterns, disturbing or odd beliefs and mannerisms, and extreme paranoia.
- Severe cases of depression, bipolar disorder, and other related disorders. Signs of severe depressive disorders can include changes in body weight or appetite, sleep disturbances, loss of concentration, impulse control problems, and extreme cases of euphoria and sadness.
- Somatic symptom disorders, which are characterized by a preoccupation with having acquired severe or life-threatening medical conditions that have not actually been diagnosed by a professional.
Other examples of mental health conditions that may qualify for disability benefits include neurodevelopmental disorders, eating disorders, and severe cases of trauma or stressor-related disorders.
Contact Our Law Firm for a Free Consultation with Our SSDI and SSI Disability Benefits Attorneys
At our Evansville law firm, we have extensive experience assisting clients who suffer from multiple conditions and are either eligible for long-term or short-term disability benefits. We will assist you in applying to your local Social Security office, as well as help you appeal against any potential denials resulting from your initial application process.
To learn more about the benefits of retaining our professional legal counsel in this difficult time, please get in touch with our law office to discuss your case in more detail in a free consultation.
You can reach our legal team by calling us at 812-213-4551.