Are you facing financial challenges due to a disability? Many people with disabilities are unable to perform certain activities related to their jobs or can not work at all. When that happens, unless you have private disability insurance or employer’s benefits, bills can start piling up quickly, adding extra stress and uncertainty to someone’s life.
Fortunately, the U.S. government has established programs specifically designed to assist citizens in these troublesome circumstances. These programs provide a safety net during difficult times.
Struggling with a Disability that Hinders Your Work? Here’s What You Can Do
If you have a medical condition that keeps you away from your work, you may access federal-funded programs offering economic assistance. Those programs were designed for people who are struggling financially due to a disability and don’t have a private disability policy.
What disabilities make you eligible for Social Security benefits? The list of disabilities is long and includes injuries and medical conditions that affect the body or the mind. Here are some of the most common health conditions that qualify for disability benefits:
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer
- Hearing loss
- Immune disorder
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Respiratory disease
- Mental disorder
As mentioned, the list goes on, including other health conditions. If your disability prevents you from doing your job or is hampering your job search, disability benefits can be the beacon of hope you were waiting for.
Government assistance for individuals with disabilities involves minimal monthly financial aid. Still, those benefits help millions of people and families across the country make ends meet and face disability challenges.
Getting Disability Benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance
Many people purchase disability private insurance to protect themselves in case an accident or illness prevents them from working in the future. What happens with people who get severely injured or develop a health condition but don’t have disability insurance? They can receive a federal compensation called Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI.
Is SSDI available for all U.S. citizens? Not exactly. This government program is an earned benefit based on the number of work credits you have earned during your working history. To qualify, you must have worked jobs where you paid Social Security taxes in your income.
Besides having enough work credits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has strict eligibility criteria regarding disability:
- You must have a disability listed in the SSA “blue book.”
- Your disability is preventing you from engaging in work and earning a substantial salary.
- Your disability stops you from doing your current job or performing a new one.
- The condition or injury will last at least 12 months or longer.
Those are the basic requirements for getting Social Security Disability Insurance. However, the process of receiving the benefits is a little more complex than just meeting the SSA criteria. To get SSDI, you must apply by filing a case and proving you have a disability that will prevent you from doing your job for at least one year.
Supplemental Security Income: Compensation for Low Resources Individuals
What happens when you don’t have private disability insurance or enough work credits to apply for SSDI? The Social Security Administration has another disability benefits program to assist citizens in that situation.
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, helps low-income elders and/or individuals with disabilities who lack sufficient work credits. This government-founded program aims to provide people with scarce resources access to basic needs, such as clothing, food, and shelter. Since medical care is a basic need, most SSI recipients also get Medicaid coverage along with financial compensation.
SSI eligibility criteria involve the following:
- Being 65 or older and/or having a disability that prevents you from working.
- Have a limited income.
- Have limited resources or assets – up to $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples. Resources that count are money in the bank, stocks, and assets you can sell, except for your house or land and the vehicle you use for transportation.
After applying for SSI, which you can do online or at your local Social Security office, the SSA will review your case and determine if you are eligible for dysfunction benefits.
Do I Need Legal Assistance To Get Social Security dysfunction Benefits?
You are not required to hire a lawyer to apply for SSDI or SSI, but you have the right to work with a law professional to help you with your case.
The truth is that getting approval from the SSA is difficult; millions of applications are rejected every year. Filing a disability claim may seem simple, but the information you submit, such as medical evidence or healthcare specialist testimony, can make or break your case.
Having an experienced attorney by your side can make the process less stressful while increasing your chances of winning the case. These are some of the duties a disability attorney Indianapolis will perform for you:
- Review your case and spot weak areas.
- Collect medical evidence and doctors’ testimonies and present them in a professional manner.
- Deal with extensive and complex paperwork.
- Maintain communication with the SSA to learn about your case development.
- Represent you at court hearings – if your case comes to that instance.
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Final Thoughts
Do you have a medical condition that prevents you from earning a living? You’ll be glad to know the government has two disability benefit programs – the SSDI and the SSI – to help people in your situation.
While it is complex to get approval for Social Security disability compensation, don’t feel discouraged. As long as you build a solid case and meet all the SSA requirements, you will have a good chance of winning your case and receiving the benefits you deserve.
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