Can You Get Social Security for a Permanent Disability?

Social security disability benefits are designed to provide financial support for those who suffer from a disability. If you have been injured or you are ill and unable to work, you may be wondering can you get social security benefits for a permanent disability. The answer to the question depends on the nature of your disability and on whether you have worked a sufficient length of time at a qualified position.

Types of Disabilities

Whether or not you can get social security for a permanent disability depends on the type of disability and on how serious it is. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers you disabled if your disability or physical condition renders you unable to do the work you were doing prior to become disabled, and you are unable to adjust to other work as a result of the condition. In addition, the disability must be one that will continue to affect you for at least a year and/or one that will lead to death.

In order to determine whether the condition renders you unable to work or unable to adjust to work, the SSA will consider the severity of the disability with which you are inflicted. The SSA has a list of disabilities considered severe- including most types of cancer, end-stage kidney or renal disease, and various other serious illnesses. If your disability is found within this list- called the Blue Book- then you will likely be eligible for disability.

If your disability is not found in the blue book, then the SSA will evaluate whether it is sufficiently severe. This is done through a careful review your medical records, as well as through medical exams and  interviews with the SSA. If the SSA finds that your disability is severe enough to inhibit you from working, then you may be entitled to disability.

Work Requirements

In order to get social security for a permanent disability, you must also have worked for a minimum length of time at a qualified job. The specific length of work history varies depending on your age. For example, if you became disabled in or before  the quarter of the year of your 24th birthday, then you must have worked for at least 1.5 years before the disability began.

If you are disabled in the quarter after you turn 24, up to the quarter before you turn 31, then you must have worked for at least half the time between your 24th birthday and the time in which you have become disabled.

If you are disabled in the quarter after you turn 31 years of age, then you must have worked at least five years out of the ten years prior to becoming disabled.

Applying for Social Security Disability

If you meet the minimum required qualifications, you may be able to get social security disability for a permanent disability. Such benefits could last until your disability is resolved or until you reach retirement age, at which point disability benefits convert to retirement benefits through the SSA.

Once you have determined you qualify, you can apply by filling out the required forms available at your local social security office. Your application will be reviewed by a representative of the SSA.

Finding Legal Help for a Disability Claim

If you are intending to apply for permanent social security disability benefits, then you may wish to consult with a disability attorney. He can let you know whether the SSA is likely to consider you qualified for benefits. He can also help you to prepare an application that is more likely to get approved by the SSA as he can assist you in providing evidence and documentation necessary to prove your disability.