Regardless of your age, you may qualify for Social Security disability Suffolk benefits if you have a disability that doesn’t allow you to work. The Social Security Administration, or SSA, is in charge of these benefits and deciding if you qualify. Here are some things you should know before applying.
Two Benefit Programs
Before applying for benefits from the SSA, you should know there are two main types of benefit programs. The first one is the Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI. This benefit program is only available to people with disabilities who have worked in the workforce for several years. The second type of benefit – Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – is for people with disabilities who also have minimal assets and income.
Defining Disability
One of the most important parts about getting Social Security disability Suffolk benefits is being deemed eligible. That means you will have to prove that you are severely disabled in order to receive benefits from the SSA. Disability can be either physical or mental and the determination of disability by the SSA can be a long and drawn out process. Even if your doctor advises you not to work due to your disability does not necessarily mean that the SSA will deem you eligible for benefits. That’s because there are certain guidelines you have to meet in order to be considered disabled by the SSA and they have their own medical professionals who will evaluate your condition.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
In order to meet the eligibility requirements for SSDI, you have to meet two qualifications. First, you must be deemed disabled by the SSA. Second, you have to have worked and earned enough “work credits” over the years. The number of credits that you need to earn will depend on how old you are and at what age you became disabled. Also, 20 of those work credits must be earned in the last 10 years before becoming disabled.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
With SSI, it is a joint program that both the SSA and your state government is involved in for working together. As a result, the state in which you live will likely have different guidelines from other states when qualifying for benefits. In terms of federal guidelines, there are a few criteria, though, to get benefits. For one thing, you have to be either blind, disabled or over the age of 65. You also have to be a US citizen or meet residency standards, be in the military or be a political refugee. Thirdly, you have to have a low income (which is decided by your individual state) and few assets.
If you’ve been trying to get SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in Suffolk and you’ve been getting the runaround, contact David Huffman Law Services. They work with clients on their behalf to get Social Security benefits when they need them.
