If I haven’t worked in many years, Can I still receive disability benefits?
It depends on how many years you have not worked. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI, also SSDI) is as the name implies, an insurance program. And like any other insurance program, you need to keep paying premiums in order to keep your insurance policy active. Your premiums for SSDI are paid through FICA taxes which are deducted from your salary, whether you like it or not. If you have not worked recently this means you have not paid into the social security system.
Social Security looks at the past 10 years to see how many work credits you have earned. Generally you need to have at least 20 work credits to qualify for SSD. One credit is earned for every quarter of work. However, these rules may change if you are blind or visually impaired.
If your disability pre-dates your insurance lapse you could still be eligible for receiving SSD benefits if you can prove this. Most states require you to apply for SSD within a certain time limit from the onset of the disability. If you are applying late, you must state good cause for your late application.
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