Social Security Disability: Not Just For The Elderly
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
If you receive a disabling injury while on the job, you’ll very likely get access to workers’ compensation benefits which will pay for your related medical bills and provide you with some replacement or supplemental income. But what if you get injured outside of work?What if you get in a major car accident on your way to work or while you’re on vacation? What if you contract a disabling disease which is unrelated to your job? If you live in the United States and you pay Social Security taxes, then the federal government may be able to help you.
Strict Definitions
First of all, while a program like workers’ compensation will provide benefits and supplemental income until you reach around 80 percent of your previous income totals, the government has much stricter standards regarding how disabled you have to be to qualify. Generally speaking, you and your family need to be unable to earn enough money to get above the poverty line, and your disability needs to last for a full year or more.
The government also keeps a database of injuries and illnesses considered severe enough to qualify, and if your condition isn’t on their list, you may have an uphill battle ahead of you just to be considered for the program.
Second, in order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you have to have earned a certain amount of taxable income in the past several years. The exact amount varies each year, and the number of Social Security “credits” you need depends on your age, but overall you need to earn a basic income for half a year during half of the past ten years to reach this qualification.
However, this ten-year working period continues to update even as you receive Social Security funds, which means that if you’re unable to work entirely your benefits will wither away and die. As such, many disability beneficiaries have to walk a fine line where they must make just enough money to continue to earn Social Security credits, but they can’t earn even a little too much or else they risk losing their benefits entirely.
Additional Options
If your work record doesn’t qualify you for regular Social Security benefits, you may still be able to receive Supplemental Security Income. This program is related to Social Security, but you don’t need Social Security credits to qualify for SSI and in the right situations you can receive benefits from both programs at once. Additionally, in most states qualifying for SSI also qualifies you for Medicaid, the federal program that provides medical assistance to poor and disabled families and individuals.
It’s also worth noting that it’s easier to qualify for Social Security benefits if you have certain conditions such as blindness, severe leukemia, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Wounded veterans may also be entitled to benefits separate from those provided by Veterans’ Affairs.
Here at All Injuries Law Firm, P.A., we understand just how difficult and complicated the Social Security disability application process can be. If you need help to figure out if you’re qualified, to file your application, or to appeal a denial of benefits, and if you live in the area of Port Charlotte, Fort Meyers, or Sarasota, Florida, then by all means contact us whenever you’re in need of advice or assistance.