For most people, Social Security is a form of retirement savings, which people access once they reach retirement age.
However, Social Security does more than provide a retirement safety net. It is also the federal government’s way of ensuring care for disabled people. The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two programs for people with disabilities. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is for people with enough work credits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can apply to disabled individuals without a qualifying work history — but it has income and asset limits.
SSDI and SSI are federal programs, but each state handles accepting and rejecting disability applications. A Queens, NY Social Security Disability lawyer from our firm could help you determine if you have a qualifying disability. Our SSDI attorneys handle nationwide cases, so you can call us from anywhere in the country.
Although the SSA does not limit qualifying disabilities, it does use a definition of “disability.” The medical condition must prevent the applicant from working or engaging in substantial gainful activity, and must be significant enough to prevent the applicant from doing any type of work, not just his or her previous job. Furthermore, the disability must be long-term. The medical condition must have lasted or be anticipated to last at least a year. The exception is when the condition is fatal and life expectancy is less than a year — in those cases, the doctors should predict that the medical condition will last until death.
Almost any severe health condition can qualify a person in Queens, New York for SSDI and SSI.
Generally, the more severe the health condition, the more likely a person will be to qualify for disability payments. Some of the most common qualifying conditions include heart disease, strokes, cancer, HIV, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders. Developmental disorders, mental health conditions, and cognitive disabilities, can also qualify. An attorney familiar with Social Security claims can advise whether someone in Queens, NY should be eligible for disability payments. We also offer an SSDI eligibility quiz as a quick way to determine if you should take the next step.
While SSDI and SSI both help people with disabilities and have the same medical requirements, they are two distinct programs. Applicants can qualify for SSI, SSDI, or both. Fortunately, the one easy part of the application process is that the SSA may consider eligibility for both programs when it receives a disability application.
SSI is a general safety net program that protects all financially vulnerable people whose disabilities prevent them from working. To qualify, an applicant must be below a certain threshold for income and property value.
SSDI does not have income or property restrictions. Instead, it is a disability insurance program for workers. To qualify for payments, a person has to work long enough — and recently enough — to get benefits. Due to these work credit requirements, not everyone will qualify.
Some people may get both SSI and SSDI benefits. However, SSDI benefits count as income for SSI. So, the SSA will reduce someone’s SSI benefits if he or she gets SSDI benefits.
When applying for disability benefits, a person must demonstrate that a medical condition prevents them from working. However, the SSA can deny claims even if applicants feel he or she meets all requirements. In fact, they frequently deny valid claims. Many applicants even have more than one denial before getting an approval.
A Social Security Disability lawyer in Queens could help reduce the odds of a denial, and also guide an applicant through the appeals process if a denial does occur.
Navigating SSI and SSDI can be very complicated. While unnecessary red tape and paperwork are always annoying, they are even more so when you are dealing with a life-altering disability. Let a Queens Social Security Disability lawyer handle that stress for you. At your consultation, we could advise whether you should qualify for benefits, what you need to do to support your claim, or we can analyze a denial and prepare for an appeal.
We take cases from any state, so please call the team now and learn why Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law is well-respected for our SSDI work.
To Schedule an Appointment, Call Us Toll Free at 1.877.873.8208 or Email Us for a Prompt Response.
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