The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to people who worked for several years before suffering a disabling injury or illness that prevents them from performing “substantial gainful activity.” As many rejected SSDI applicants learn each year, though, each of those elements can be much more complex in practice—not to mention more difficult to establish during the application process—than you might expect.
The support of a seasoned SSDI attorney from Shook & Stone can streamline the application process and improve your chances of getting a positive final result. If you want to efficiently establish that you qualify for benefits in the first place, though, it may be all but essential to get help from a Summerlin SSDI eligibility lawyer who understands the criteria for these benefits back to front.
Understanding the SSA’s Definition of “Disability”
As mentioned above, the SSA considers someone to be “disabled” for the purposes of SSDI eligibility primarily by determining whether their condition will directly result in their death or prevent them from performing substantial gainful activity (SGA) for at least 12 consecutive months.
Notably, the SSA does not currently recognize any type of injury or illness as automatically qualifying the affected person for SSDI benefits or any other kind of Social Security benefit. As a Summerlin, Rhodes Ranch, Sovana, or Sun City SSDI eligibility attorney can explain, though, there are specific conditions that may qualify you for expedited review of your SSDI petition, which comes with a much higher likelihood of approval provided you meet all other criteria and provide sufficient documentation of your disability.
Meeting the Work Credit Requirements for SSDI
In addition to being disabled, SSDI applicants must also have accrued a specific amount of “work credits” during their career prior to getting hurt or sick in order to qualify for benefits.
Most of the time, SSDI applicants must have obtained at least 40 total work credits over the course of their career to be eligible for benefits, with at least 20 of those work credits having been accrued in the ten years immediately preceding the start of their disability. However, if you became disabled many years before what is considered to be standard retirement age, a Summerlin lawyer may be able to help you establish SSDI eligibility with a lesser amount of work credits.
A Summerlin SSDI Eligibility Attorney Can Help
Understanding what makes you eligible for SSDI benefits is just one step of many in the process of actually obtaining those benefits. Put simply, pursuing an application all on your own is very likely to have an unsatisfactory outcome for you, considering that the SSA rejects a majority of SSDI application it receives each year.
Assistance from a Summerlin SSDI eligibility lawyer can tip the odds of a successful claim result back in your favor and simplify the application process for you along the way. Call Shook & Stone today to learn more.
