According to social security administration data, one in every four Americans become disabled before the age of 67years, which means that you can potentially lose your earn income. Thankfully, social security disability insurance is intended to replace some of this lost income if you lose your ability to earn due to a specific medical condition. However, you have to meet certain requirements to be eligible for social security disability benefits. Your benefits are based on your age and how much you have earned during your working years.
Suppose you become disabled and can no longer work. In that case, you can apply for social security disability (SSD) benefits, but you need to gather all the information before making the application to meet all the requirements. This social security disability claim guide informs you of everything you need to know.
How does social security insurance work?
If you are employed, you pay for the social security disability insurance through taxes. That is to say, employers pay 6.2% of employee earnings to social security. The federal insurance contributions act is the body that stipulates these taxes.
What happens is that you pay for the social security disability insurance program during your working years, and you can apply for the benefits if you become disabled and unable to work. Ideally, you must have paid into social security for five of the ten years prior to your becoming disabled to be eligible for the benefits.
How to file an SSD claim
First, you need to determine what you are unable to do following your disability because you must prove that you cannot do any work. So this is not a matter of whether someone can hire you or not. If you can perform any kind of work, even unrelated to your previous profession, you may not qualify for the benefits.
Next, have a doctor provide you with a medical report detailing your condition and a list of the medications you take. The medical documents must demonstrate that you have a condition or disability that meets the SSD definition of disability. Put all the documents together, including diagnosis reports and any information to explain your disability.
Note that the long-term outlook of your health condition will be considered during the evaluation of your SSD application. You must show that you have a disability condition expected to last for at least one year or even result in death. There are no short-term disability benefits from social security.
You can send the application to the social security disability administration online or in person at their offices when you have all the required documents. If you apply in person, the official in the office will make observations about your case in terms of behavior, health condition, appearance, and grooming.
After the application, the SSD evaluates your claim, which can take several months, and notifies you if you are eligible for the benefits or not. The benefits should replace 40% of your average income if you qualify. If the application is denied, you can seek the assistance of an SSD lawyer to appeal.