There are two forms of disability benefits, SSDI or Social Security Disability Insurance requires that the claimant has worked and paid into the plan via FICA taxes. For claimants under 50 the majority will have to prove they worked and paid in for five out of the last ten years. The other available benefit is SSI, Supplemental Security Income, this is set aside for people with very low income; there is no need to have paid into the system.
Medical qualifications:
If it is determined that the individual can claim for SSDI based on work history then he or she must qualify based on medical and vocational grounds. The claimant must be totally disabled, unable to do any gainful work. In cases involving Social Security disability there is no such thing as “partial” disability, it is a system that is strictly all or nothing. It must be understood however that totally disability and permanent disability are different; an applicant can receive benefits as long as the disability is expected to last 12 months or result in death.
The steps to approval:
Applying for social security disability benefits can take as many as five different steps. The first stage of course is the initial application; some applicants will seek legal advice at this stage while others will not. In the greatest majority of cases the initial application will be denied, the applicant is then faced with a series of appeals.
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Reconsideration
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Hearing with an administrative law judge
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The appeals council and finally a lawsuit in federal court
The chances of being approved at the hearing stage are quite good, especially when you go into the hearing with a Social Security lawyer in Camden.
If you are disabled, your chances of being approved for disability benefits are far better if you hire a Social Security lawyer in Camden to assist you. You are invited to contact the Law Office of Elizabeth A.
