There are hundreds of medical conditions recognized as disabling by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA uses a medical guide, which is called the Blue Book, to detail medical conditions and specific criteria that must be met for a claim to be approved. All the medical conditions in the Blue Book qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. Here is a closer look at qualifying for disability benefits.
Those with genetic or inherited disorders are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits if they meet specific conditions. One of these is not being able to work for at least 12 months due to the genetic or inherited disorder. The other is the medical evidence that supports the sufferer’s inability to go to work.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, 25 percent of Americans live with some type of disability.
Living with a disability can make it difficult, if not impossible to hold down a steady job, especially if the disability generates severe symptoms.
If you live with a mental or physical disability, you might qualify for a safety net program called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Even if you think your medical condition should entitle you to get a disability benefit, when you file the application you will find it is hard to get a benefit. This is because the majority of disability benefits initial applications are denied.
This is often because the evidence provided doesn’t always prove that your medical condition is severe enough that you are unable to work for 12 months as this is a requirement for eligibility for a disability benefit.
Trying to understand the complex system managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) can be frustrating. Virtually every American is familiar with the retirement benefits that we have contributed to throughout our careers.
However, two programs called Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) often get confused with one another.
In the most fundamental descriptions, SSI represents basic income assistance to older and disabled Americans that live with limited resources.
