Disability is something most people do not like to think about. But the chances that you will become disabled probably are greater than you realize. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 3 in 10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.
For additional information about
Social Security Disability, consider the following: RESOURCES
Social Security pays benefits to people who cannot work because they have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. Federal law requires this very strict definition of disability. While some programs give money to people with partial disability or short-term disability, Social Security does not. Certain family members of disabled workers also can receive money from Social Security.
In general, to get disability benefits, you must meet two different earnings tests: a “recent work” test based on your age at the time you became disabled and a “duration of work” test to show that you worked long enough under Social Security. Certain blind workers have to meet only the “duration of work” test.
The list below shows the rules for how much work you need for the “recent work” test based on your age when your disability began. The rules in this table are based on the calendar quarter in which you turned or will turn a certain age.
How do I meet the earnings requirement for disability benefits?
The calendar quarters are:
First Quarter: January 1 through March 31
Second Quarter: April 1 through June 30
Third Quarter: July 1 through September 30
Fourth Quarter: October 1 through December 31
Call our Social Security Office between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to make an appointment to file a disability claim at your local Social Security office or to set up an appointment for someone to take your claim over the telephone. The disability claims interview lasts about one hour.. If you schedule an appointment, a Disability Starter Kit will be mailed to you. The Disability Starter Kit will help you get ready for your disability claims interview.
You should apply for disability benefits as soon as you become disabled. It can take a long time to process an application for disability benefits (three to five months). To apply for disability benefits, you will need to complete an application for Social Security Benefits and the Disability Report.
The information Social Security need includes:
Your Social Security number
Your birth or baptismal certificate
Names, addresses and phone numbers of the doctors, caseworkers, hospitals and clinics that took care of you and dates of your visits
Names and dosage of all the medicine you take
Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers that you already have in your possession
Laboratory and test results
A summary of where you worked and the kind of work you did
A copy of your most recent W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) or, if you are self-employed, your federal tax return for the past year
In addition to the basic application for disability benefits, there are other forms you will need to fill out. One form collects information about your medical condition and how it affects your ability to work. Other forms give doctors, hospitals and other health care professionals who have treated you permission to send to Social Security information about your medical condition.
Social Security will review your application to make sure you meet some basic requirements for disability benefits. They will check whether you worked enough years to qualify. Also, they will evaluate any current work activities. If you meet these requirements, they will send your application to the Disability Determination Services office in your state.
This state agency completes the disability decision for us. Doctors and disability specialists in the state agency ask your doctors for information about your condition. They will consider all the facts in your case. They will use the medical evidence from your doctors and hospitals, clinics or institutions where you have been treated and all other information. They will ask your doctors:
What your medical condition is
When your medical condition beganWhen your medical condition began
How your medical condition limits your activities
What the medical tests have shown
What treatment you have received
They also will ask the doctors for information about your ability to do work-related activities, such as walking, sitting, lifting, carrying and remembering instructions. Your doctors are not asked to decide if you are disabled.
The state agency staff may need more medical information before they can decide if you are disabled. If more information is not available from your current medical sources, the state agency may ask you to go for a special examination. Social Security prefers to ask your own doctor, but sometimes the exam may have to be done by someone else. Social Security will pay for the exam and for some of the related travel costs.
When the state agency reaches a decision on your case, Social Security will send you a letter. If your application is approved, the letter will show the amount of your benefit and when your payments start. If your application is not approved, the letter will explain why and tell you how to appeal the decision if you do not agree with it.
If your application is approved, your first Social Security disability benefits will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began.
Certain members of your family may qualify for benefits based on your work. They include:
Your spouse, if he or she is 62 or older
Your spouse, at any age if he or she is caring for a child of yours who is younger than age 16 or disabled
Your unmarried child, including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild or grandchild. The child must be under age 18 or under age 19 if in elementary or secondary school full time
Your unmarried child, age 18 or older, if he or she has a disability that started before age 22. (The child’s disability also must meet the definition of disability for adults
Cited Source: The above statements, regulations, policies, procedures, forms, governance, or laws, are cited from "The U.S. Social Security Administration", "The Department of Social Security", and/or their agencies, departments, affiliates, and/or subsidiaries. Any inaccuracies or misstatements should be brought to our attention immediately via the "Contact Us" link which can be found at the bottom of each page.
