In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you need to meet two requirements:
- Non-Medical Requirements: Your Social Security work credits that are based on your yearly earnings or self-employment income at, or lower than, the Supplemental Security Income.
- Medical Requirements: Medical criteria to prove you are disabled (often this is done by showing you have one of the many conditions that are acknowledged in the Social Security Administration’s ‘Blue Book’).
You must prove from medical records that your disability prevents you from any Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) which is defined as work that earns you a certain amount of money each month that is sufficient to make a living. This amount is fixed by the Social Security Administration and undergoes periodic changes based on inflation and other factors. If you earn less than the SGA, the SSDI examiner will take your disability application for further examination to determine whether your disability is likely to last at least one year.
A disability is described as a condition that prevents you from working for at least one year. The disability can be due to a physical or mental condition. You must be unable to perform at your current job or any other job. It is for this reason that older applicants with less education are more likely to be approved for SSDI benefits. Such people may not have transferable skills and are generally not expected to learn new skills.
While the list of illnesses in the Blue Book serves as a guideline for SSDI eligibility, it is not exhaustive. SSDI will scrutinize all your medical records and assess your Residual Function Capacity (RFC). Depending on the results, SSDI will assess your capacity to perform unskilled, semi-skilled, or less than skilled jobs.
The Blue Book has a long list of impairments and illnesses that automatically qualify you for disability benefits.
Fill out our form now to see if you qualify for SSDI benefits!