SSDI BENEFITS: IT'S NOT "SMALL POTATOES"

If you qualify for the maximum Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefit, you could receive a check for over $3,000 per month.  This may continue for as long as you are disabled.  It's not "small potatoes" any more.

SSDI BENEFITS - NOT SMALL POTATOES

Like every other government program, SSDI has rigorous requirements that must be met. Here are the general requirements:

1.  You cannot be working currently at substantial gainful activity (SGA), which is defined in 2020 as earning at least $1,260 in work related wages, commisisons, salary or self-employment.

2.  You must at least one severe impairment that has lasted for at least consecutive12 months, is medically expected to last for at least 12 straight months, OR is expected to result in death.

3.  You must be unable to perform any of your past relevant jobs (any of the full-time jobs you have held in the past 15 years).

4.  If you are under age 50, you must show that you are unable to perform any other full-time job which exists in the national economy.

I might add that "proof" must be in the form of objective medical evidence from a licensed physician or psychiatrist who has treated you and knows your medical or psychiatric condition.

You also must meet Social Security's "insured status."  Normally, this means that you have worked enough, and worked recently enough, to be covered by Social Security disability.  The general rule is that you must have worked at least 5 years out of the most recent 10 year period.  You earn coverage under SSDI by working and paying into Social Security through payroll taxes.  If you haven't worked in a long time, you may not be covered.

Finally, the road to approval is frustrating, disappointing and difficult.  Most claimants hire an attorney or advocate to help them prove their disability and get their checks started.  It is usually necessary to attend a hearing before an administrative law judge before your claim is approved.  It is also normal for claims to be denied at least twice before they are finally approved.  So, SSDI is not a quick or easy road to riches.  However, it can be a path to financial survival and even security for a person who has worked and paid into the system for years and now needs to receive benefits from it.

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