Navigating the Social Security Disability System

The Social Security Disability system is a safety net for people who become disabled and unable to work. The system is designed to make sure people still have income when they are injured at work, so there are several safeguards in place to make sure that benefits are assigned only to those who need them. To understand the social security disability system and to determine whether your particular injury or illness qualifies you for benefits, it is essential for you to be able to navigate the system and for you to understand the basic rules.

When Do You Qualify for SSA Disability?

To qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, you must have a disability, which is defined as having a medical or mental condition or impairment that:

• Is expected to result in death, or that
• Which will last, or has lasted, for at least 12 months in a row, and
• Which makes it impossible for you to gain or keep steady employment (either the work you held before your impairment, or any work that exists, with consideration given to your specific education level, work history, and age).

To determine if you qualify for Social Security disability benefits, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Do you currently hold a job?  If you have a job, and your make more than $860 each month, then you typically would not be deemed disabled for the purposes of disability benefits.  That is not to say that you do not have a serious impairment that greatly affects your life, but for the sake of applying for disability benefits, you would not be eligible.
2. How serious is your impairment?  Your condition must directly impact your ability to work, to perform the essential functions required to maintain your job or any job.
3. Does the Social Security Administration recognize your impairment on its list of disabilities?  Social Security’s list of impairments is extensive, and many conditions enumerated on that list immediately qualify you for disability benefits.  If your specific condition does not appear on that list, then the Social Security Administration would conduct a hearing and determine your specific case and eligibility.  If your condition is found to have similar severity to impairments already on the list, you will most likely be found eligible for benefits.
4. Are you able to do the work you did before you were impaired?  If your condition is not on the Social Security Administration’s list of impairments, and, while it is severe, it is not of the same severity as impairments on the list, Social Security will closely examine if it hinders you from doing work that you have done over the past 15 years.  If you can still do that job, your disability claim will not be approved.  If it does hinder that work, your case will be investigated more fully.
5. Is there an alternative type of work that you can do?  If your condition makes it impossible for you to do the work you did prior to developing that condition, is there some other type of work that you CAN do with your experience and education?  This will be an important consideration for Social Security when determining your eligibility for disability benefits.

Getting Help

The SSA disability process can be confusing to the layperson and a lot is at stake. As such, you shouldn't try to navigate through the system yourself- instead, get the help of an experienced lawyer who can explain your rights, interface with the SSA and otherwise help you throughout the process of claiming your benefits.