Getting Disability Insurance Benefits for a Permanent Disability

When a disability becomes permanent and results in your inability to work entirely, you need to know the procedure for getting disability insurance benefits for a permanent disability.  Most social security disability benefits are predicated on a review process during which your condition is evaluated periodically to see when you may be able to return to work after a condition has improved or ended.  It is typically assumed that all disability is temporary until the Social Security Administration has determined otherwise through verification by doctors or agents of the Social Security Administration.

Definition of Permanent Disability

The Social Security Administration defines permanent disability as a disability that will continue with you for the rest of your life, and/or that will lead to death. A permanent disability must be one that has affected not only your ability to engage in the work that you were doing, but also your suitability or ability to be re-trained or to do any other work.  The Social Security Administration has created and maintains a “Blue Book” of injuries or illnesses considered to be severe enough to qualify for permanent disability, such as end-stage cancer, kidney failure, and other types of illnesses.  These illnesses are a virtual guarantee of permanent disability benefits through Social Security; if you have an injury not in the Blue Book, you will need to prove to the SSA that the injury or illness is sufficiently severe and disabling so as to interfere with your daily life.

Getting Disability Insurance Benefits for a Permanent Disability

There are minimum requirements that must be met in order to qualify for Social Security Permanent Disability.  The main requirement is that you have sufficient length of work history requirement as determined by your age.  For example, if you become disabled prior to turning 31 years old, you must have worked at least five out of the ten previous years.  However, someone who becomes disabled prior to the age of 24, needs only to have worked for 1.5 years prior to their disability in order to claim permanent disability benefits.  While permanent disability means that you are considered physically unable to work, it does not mean that you cannot work – you are just not allowed to earn more than $940 per month in any given month while you are simultaneously collecting permanent disability benefits.

Disability benefits will automatically convert to retirement benefits from SSA once you have reached the retirement age.  You will want to retain the help of a qualified lawyer as the application process for Social Security Permanent Disability is complex and requires strict adherence to the SSI laws.  You will have to be evaluated by a doctor, possibly more than once, regarding your condition, and you may have to be re-evaluated periodically if you are not considered to have one of the “Blue Book” conditions which result in permanent disability.