Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits can be a vital source of financial support for people who have spent several years working and paying Social Security taxes, but are now disabled to a degree which prevents them from holding a job. At the same time, though, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is very strict about who it accepts into this benefits program, and it is actually more common for initial applicants to be rejected than it is for them to get benefits on the first try.
The main obstacle to getting SSDI benefits for most people is establishing eligibility for those benefits based on the SSA’s criteria, something which can be difficult for anyone to manage without guidance from a seasoned SSDI attorney. With a Reno SSDI eligibility lawyer at Shook & Stone on your side, you could file a strong claim and give yourself the best possible chances of receiving the benefits you need.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for SSDI?
There are two main criteria that play into SSDI eligibility in Reno and throughout the United States: disability status, and work credits. According to the rules set by the SSA, someone is “disabled” for the purposes of SSDI eligibility if:
- They have an injury, illness, or psychological condition which is expected to last for at least one year or expected to directly cause the applicant’s death, and
- It prevents the applicant from performing “substantial gainful activity” or from returning to their old job.
Importantly, people who are only “partially” disabled are not eligible for SSDI benefits.
Most SSDI applicants need at least 40 work credits in total and at least 20 work credits earned within the 10 years prior to applying for benefits to be eligible for benefits. Although, as a Reno SSDI eligibility attorney could further explain, workers who become disabled at younger ages may have less strict requirements in this regard.
How the SSA Determines Eligibility for SSDI
When reviewing an SSDI application, the SSA will first determine whether the applicant is earning less than the applicable amount per month for eligibility. Applicants making more than the applicable amount per month are generally not considered to be disabled, although exceptions are sometimes made for people who are working but still not performing “substantial gainful activity.”
If the applicant passes that first hurdle, the Disability Determination Services office of the SSA will step in to determine whether the applicant:
- Has a severe disability interfering with basic work tasks
- Has a disability already on the SSA’s list of conditions which qualify someone for SSDI
- Is capable of returning to their previous job or being retrained to do some other type of work
Finally, the SSA will check whether the applicant has the requisite work credits to qualify for benefits, something which an SSDI eligibility lawyer in Reno could help with establishing if necessary.
Get Help from a Reno SSDI Eligibility Attorney
Even if you meet all the basic criteria for SSDI benefits, actually proving that you meet them to the Social Security Administration’s satisfaction can be far from a simple task. In fact, as millions of rejected applicants learn each year, it can be difficult without assistance from a legal professional who knows the SSDI application process inside and out.
You have that kind of help available to you from the dedicated legal team at Shook & Stone. Call today to learn how a Reno SSDI eligibility lawyer could help you.
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