The US Social Security Administration (SSA) offers financial assistance to Americans with psychiatric, psychological and medical disabilities that prevent them from holding a job, or that limit the amount or type of work they can do. TheSocial Security Disability Income and Social Security Disability programs have differing requirements for eligibility, and both have a long application process.
Assessing Your Eligibility
To get disability payments, you must have a terminal disability (one that will eventually result in death), or be prevented from working for more than a year. Before you can get benefits, you must have worked for a certain period, which varies depending on age at the time of disability. This test requires a minimum number of years worked during a lifetime; for instance, a person disabled at 50 must have worked for at least seven years during that time. Those entering the workforce less than seven years before a disability are excluded from qualification for SS benefits.
Working and Collecting SSI Benefits
Unlike Social Security disability benefits, your application for disability income only needs to demonstrate a financial need. You can receive SSDI while retaining your job. If a disability prevents you from holding a full time job, or prevents you from making enough money to pay your monthly bills, you can get SSDI benefits with no minimum work requirement. To prove your disability, you and your Social Security Lawyer in Tulsa will need to disclose your wages, investments, accounts, insurance policies and other assets.
A Lawyer Can Help You Appeal if Your Claim is Denied
Not all applications for SSDI and SSI are approved, but that does not mean that you are ineligible. You have the legal right to appeal if your application is denied, and you can also hire a disability attorney to assist you during appeals. Hiring a lawyer can help you get the settlement you need and deserve.
The laws pertaining to Social Security disability benefits and income are complex, and each case’s facts are different. The information in this article is intended as a general, brief introduction; for help specific to your case, please contact a disability lawyer.
