Other Ways You Can Apply
Apply With Your Local Office
You can do most of your business with Social Security online. If you cannot use these online services, your local Social Security office can help you apply. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Office Locator and looking under Social Security Office Information. The toll-free Office number is your local office.
Apply By Phone
If You Do Not Live in the U.S. Or One of Its Territories
Contact the if you live outside the U.S. or a U.S. territory and wish to apply for retirement benefits.
Mailing Your Documents
If you mail any documents to us, you must include the Social Security number so that we can match them with the correct application. Do not write anything on the original documents. Please write the Social Security number on a separate sheet of paper and include it in the mailing envelope along with the documents.
Contact Social Security To Sign Up For Medicare
You can either:
Know when to sign up for Part BYou can only sign up for Part B at certain times. If you dont sign up for Part B when you turn 65, you might have to wait to sign up and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty. Find out when you can sign up. How much is the Part B late enrollment penalty?
What Qualifies You For Disability In Alabama
Apply Online for Disability Benefits
- Are age 18 or older
- Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
- Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and.
- Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days.
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First Payments And Ongoing Monthly Ssi Payment Dates
Once the local office has all the information and supporting documentation they need to determine your payment amount for each of the past months and the current month, they will process the information into your computer record, authorize monthly payments to start, and trigger issuance of the first installment payment. Occasionally, the back-pay installment will be paid first, but usually, it is paid within a week to a month after the monthly benefit is set up.
SSI payments are due on the first of each month. If the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the payment will be available on the last business day before the weekend or holiday.
How Our Lawyer Could Handle Your Disability Benefits Application Process
The process of proving your disability will take time, but you dont have to go through it by yourself. The SSA allows you to assign a representative who can:
- Correspond with the SSA on your behalf
- Access and collect your medical records for the purpose of applying for benefits
- Fill out paperwork on your behalf
- Accompany you to any interviews or hearings required to complete your application
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Listed And Unlisted Conditions Must Be Severe
Whether the SSA has or hasnt listed your impairment, you will need more than a diagnosis to qualify for disability benefits. For listed conditions, your diagnosis and medical records must match the SSAs requirements for that specific condition. The medical evidence you present must align with the symptoms, signs, and other criteria for that impairment. If you dont meet all the requirements of a listed condition, you can still present your medical evidence. The SSA can review it and determine if its severity is equal to an impairment it considers severe.
For a legal consultation, call
Ways To Apply For Disability Benefits:
- If you or your spouse worked for a railroad, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772.
Once your disability benefits start, well mail you a welcome package with your Medicare card.
Sign up for Part B if you live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.You get Part A automatically. If you want Part B, you need to sign up for it. If you dont sign up for Part B within 3 months after your Part A starts, you might have to wait to sign up for Part B and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty.
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How To Apply For Social Security Disability
Getting Social Security Disability Benefits starts with filing an application in your local Social Security office. Unfortunately, local Social Security offices are closed during the COVID pandemic. If you are unable get to your local office, applications may be filed online or by phone. There are two separate benefit programs, Social Security Disability Insurance , which is for people with recent work histories, and Supplemental Security Income for those who have not worked recently. You can apply for both SSDI and SSI on the same application. Applications should be filed when you become disabled. Consider applying as soon as you become disabled.
The Basics About Disability Benefits
The SSDI program pays benefits to you and certain if you are insured. This means that you worked long enough and recently enough – and paid Social Security taxes on your earnings. The SSI program pays benefits to adults and children who meet our requirements for a qualifying disability and have limited income and resources.
While these two programs are different, the medical requirements are the same. If you meet the nonmedical requirements, monthly benefits are paid if you have a medical condition expected to last at least one year or result in death.
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What Are Burn Pits
Known also as an open air burn pit or open burn pits, burn pits are used by the military in areas of deployment, namely Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Gulf War. Although many burn pits are no longer used, some are still around, but often only in emergencies.
A military burn pit gets rid of waste and confidential documents and materials that the military doesn’t want to fall into enemy hands. For security reasons, the burn pit is located on a military base. Burn pits are quite large and put out an incredible amount of toxic smoke when materials are burned with jet fuel. Soldiers have no choice but to breathe in the toxins from the waste disposal.
The VA is currently trying to determine some of the long-term health consequences associated with an open air burn pit by allowing veterans to register for a burn pit registry to detail any side effects they believe stem from pit exposure. Although many side effects are believed to be temporary, experts believe that others could be more of a long-term health concern.
Consider Legal Help As You Seek Social Security Disability Benefits
Disabilities can have adverse effects on your quality of life, as well as the quality of life of those who depend on you. Health conditions do not take your character into account, and you could be in a difficult position through no fault of your own. You may be able to ease your financial burden with assistance from various benefits programs. You can reach out to our Social Security Disability attorney, who can guide you through the benefits process.
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What We Mean By Disability
The definition of disability under Social Security is different than other programs. Social Security pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability.
We consider you to have a qualifying disability under Social Security rules if all the following are true:
- You cannot do work and engage in substantial gainful activity because of your medical condition.
- You cannot do work you did previously or adjust to other work because of your medical condition.
- Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
This is a strict definition of disability. Social Security program rules assume that working families have access to other resources to provide support during periods of short-term disabilities, including workers’ compensation, insurance, savings, and investments.
We Will Make Sure Your Disability Benefits Application Is Error
If you hire one of our attorneys for tasks related to your SSDI or SSI application, we will ensure your application is accurate and manage the appeals process as necessary. At our firm, we handle all aspects of your claim, from filing your claim to the appeals process, so that you can focus on your health and well-being.
We will help you understand the SSAs designated conditions and related medical requirements and your status regarding those. If you need further medical evaluation to establish your disability, we can advise you if that is the case.
Complete a Case Evaluation form now
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Paying Back Public Assistance
Another factor that can add to how long you receive payment is having received state-funded interim assistance while you were waiting for your SSI claim to be processed. If you received certain interim cash assistance from a state, SSA must use part of your back pay to reimburse the state for the assistance it provided you. Note that when you signed up for the state assistance, you would have signed papers agreeing to this reimbursement. Although most of the time, the information is gathered quickly from the state, occasionally there will be a delay in getting the information transmitted to SSA, thus extending processing time.
How Much Does Ssdi Pay Approved Alabama Disability Claimants Each Month
The highest Alabama disability payment you can get through the SSDI program in 2022 is $3,345/month. Only claimants who earned $132,000+ annually before becoming disabled get that much. Disabled workers nationwide receive $1,358 in SSDI benefits each month, on average. The only way to increase your benefit amount is through an annual cost-of-living-adjustment in certain years.
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Va Disability Benefits For Burn Pit Exposure
Lawmakers are working to protect veterans who have been exposed to burn pits. On August, 2021, the VA made a change to list of approved presumptive conditions related to airborne hazards and burn pit exposure. Three new presumptive conditions have been added: Sinusitis, Rhinitis, and Asthma.
If you believe you’re entitled to VA disability benefits due to exposure from the toxic fumes of burn pits, get started applying for the benefits you deserve. The current process for applying for VA benefits for burn pit exposure is complicated, so it could help to have a medical consultant on your side.
More Specific Conditions That Could Entitle You To Benefits
It is important to note that every applicant presents individual circumstances that could qualify or disqualify them for benefits. With this in mind, some of the specific conditions the SSA lists under its broader medical categories include:
- Depressive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
These are just some of the many conditions the SSA lists as potential prerequisites for receiving disability benefits through one or more federal programs. Additional context may be required to determine your eligibility and the number of benefits you could receive if you are eligible. As such, these conditions do not automatically qualify you for disability benefits.
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Your Impairment Does Not Have To Be On The Ssas List
If you want to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, it is important to note that your impairment does not have to appear on the SSAs list. Examples of such conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome and celiac disease, among others.
However, you must present a formal diagnosis of your condition to the SSA that shows it is a medically determinable impairment that prevents you from functioning in full capacity. This means your condition must be severe enough to prevent you from working or performing your daily activities. This reduction in capacity is known as the residual functional capacity.
If your disability meets the SSAs requirements, it might consider it to be equivalent to a listed condition. You must obtain this diagnosis from your doctor to prove your condition, but it is only the start of the process. It does not mean you will automatically receive approval for benefits.
Apply For Benefits Online
You should apply for disability benefits as soon as you develop a disability. Follow these easy steps to apply online for disability:
- To start your application, go to our Apply for Benefits page, and read and agree to the Terms of Service. Click Next.
- On that page, review the Getting Ready section to make sure you have the information you need to apply.
- Select Start A New Application.
- We will ask a few questions about who is filling out the application.
- You will then sign in to your personal mySocial Security account, or you will be prompted to create one.
- Complete the application.
You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:
- Are age 18 or older.
- Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record.
- Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death.
- Have not been denied for disability in the last 60 days.
Note: If your application was recently denied, our application is a starting point to request a review of the determination we made.
You may be able to file online for SSI at the same time that you file for SSDI benefits. Once you complete the online process described above, a Social Security representative will contact you if we need additional information.
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Applying For Disability In Alabama
How to apply and qualify for SSD, SSI in Alabama Disability Applicationapplying for disabilityHow to qualify for disability in Alabamato qualify for disability benefitsthe Social Security Administration definition of disabilitysubstantial and gainful activityqualifications for disabilityrequirements of a listingare not approvedmedical vocational allowance
- Is the individual capable of returning to their past work?
- Is the individual capable of doing some type of other work?
The odds of qualifying for disability in Alabama
How Long Does It Usually Take To Get Your First Ssdi Check
Six months from your SSDI application date is the soonest anyone gets their first Alabama disability payment. The SSA takes about 3-5 months to review each SSDI claim for Alabama disability benefits. That includes the five-month mandatory waiting period under federal law. However, most people filing SSDI claims wait closer to 2 years for their first Alabama disability payment. Having a lawyer file your SSDI claim makes you nearly 3x more likely to get benefits on your first try. Legally, no lawyer can charge you anything until after the SSAs already approved you for Alabama disability benefits. Today, SSDI applications for Alabama disability benefits take 419 days to process, on average. Thats more than a year!
The SSA denies 2 in every 5 SSDI claims due to basic mistakes people make on the application. If that happens, you have 60 days to appeal your denial in writing. Reconsideration, the first appeal step, takes about 100 days to finish. Only 2% of claimants get Alabama disability benefits after reconsideration. If you have to appeal a second time, youll schedule an Administrative Law Judge hearing. Unfortunately, hearings have pretty long wait times. In Montgomery, youll wait 13 months for your court date to arrive, on average. The average wait time in Florence, on the other hand, is 10 months. Your first Alabama disability check could take 2 or longer if you win benefits on appeal.
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Special Rules For People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision
We consider you to be legally blind under Social Security rules if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye. We will also consider you legally blind if your visual field is 20 degrees or less, even with a corrective lens. Many people who meet the legal definition of blindness still have some sight and may be able to read large print and get around without a cane or a guide dog.
If you do not meet the legal definition of blindness, you may still qualify for disability benefits. This may be the case if your vision problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.
There are several special rules for people who are blind that recognize the severe impact of blindness on a person’s ability to work. For example, the monthly earnings limit for people who are blind is generally higher than the limit that applies to non-blind workers with disabilities.
In 2022, the monthly earnings limit is $2,260.
Benefits For Disabled Adults
SSDI is available to disabled adult workers who have paid Social Security taxes, while SSI is a need-based program only available to applicants that meet strict limitations on income and asset holdings. If you have never worked due to your mental illness, you will not qualify for SSDI. If you have financial support from friends or family, you will not qualify for SSI.
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Additional Information That May Impact Your Benefits Eligibility
The SSA outlines some of the requirements to apply for benefits under SSDI and SSI. They include:
- Having a condition that has prevented you from working for at least one year
- Being at least 18 years of age
Beyond these basic requirements, the SSA will request several types of information as part of your application. Your answers to these questions and your ability to provide various forms of documentation may directly impact your eligibility for benefits. Some questions on the Checklist for Online Adult Disability Application may ask about:
- The age you were at the time that you became disabled
- How many years you participated in the workforce before becoming disabled
- The nature and severity of the medical condition that causes you to be disabled
- Your marital status
- Whether you have any dependents
- Whether you can complete any type of work to earn an income
- Your education and work history
Your ability to provide thorough documentation about the nature of your medical condition and the date of the conditions onset is essential in determining your eligibility for benefits through SSDI and SSI.