Disability With Other Medical Conditions
Only about 35% of approved disability applications actually meet a listing. You can also prove that your condition equals a listing. This means that your condition is basically the same as a listing in the book although only about 5% of applications are approved this way. The most common approval method is by vocationally proving your disability. This means that your condition or combination of conditions renders you unable to perform a vocation or job of any kind. You will look to the medical records as well as a vocational expert to conduct a disability evaluation to prove your case meets the Social Security disability criteria. This accounts for about half of Social Security disability approvals.
Will I Qualify For Disability If I Still Earn Some Money By Working
It depends on how much you earn each month. If you earn more than $1,470 per month in 2023, you will not qualify for SSD benefits. This could be the case if your employer makes accommodations for your hearing damage so you can still do your job. Or, this might be your situation if you have a job that doesnt require hearing ability. Also, as we mentioned above, hearing damage in just one ear will disqualify you for benefits.
After recent cost-of-living adjustments of 8.7%, the maximum SSD pay amount you can receive each month is $3,627. However, on average, most people get about $1,483 in monthly SSD benefits. If you also have a spouse and child younger than 16 at home, the average SSD payment is $2,616 per month.
What Should You Do If You Have A Disability
If youre disabled and cannot work, you might be eligible for SSDI. You can apply through the SSA. SSDI can help provide income for you and your familys needs. Youll need to show proof of your medical condition and work history. You must have worked enough hours at jobs covered by Social Security.
A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you with your claim. If the SSA denies your application, a lawyer can help you appeal. Dont assume you dont qualify without speaking to a lawyer first.
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Ssi Eligibility And Eligibility For Certain Former Ssi Recipients
You may qualify for SSI /Medicaid, or you may be able to remain eligible for Medicaid after your SSI payments stop if you meet certain eligibility guidelines.
SSI EligibilityIf you qualify for Supplemental Security Income , you automatically receive Medicaid. SSI makes monthly payments to individuals with low income and few resources that are either age 65 or over or blind or disabled. Blindness and disability are determined using Social Security rules. An application for SSI is filed with the Social Security Administration.
If you have unpaid medical bills in any of the 3 months prior to the month you apply for SSI, you can apply for Medicaid to cover these month by filing an application with the Division of Medicaid.
For more information, see the Medicaid Eligibility Guide for SSI Recipients and Certain Former SSI Recipients brochure.
Medicaid Eligibility for Certain Former SSI RecipientsCertain former SSI recipients may continue to receive Medicaid. You must be eligible in one of the groups briefly described below:
Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits With Heart Failure
Social Security Disability benefits can provide an individual who is suffering from heart failure with a monthly income as well as medical insurance to cover medical expenses.
When an individual suffers from heart failure, it can be impossible to maintain a full time job. Working a job with heart failure can be dangerous, yet the lack of income caused by an inability to work can result in significant financial stress. While it may seem like a vicious cycle, the good news is that Social Security Disability benefits may be the solution to this problem. Social Security Disability benefits can provide an individual who is suffering from heart failure with a monthly income as well as medical insurance to cover medical expenses.
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Meeting Or Matching A Listed Condition
You may be wondering what conditions qualify for disability? Listed conditions include physical, intellectual, and psychological impairments. Regardless of which type of disability you have, there are standard processes the SSA uses in reviewing applications. They first compare your medical records to disability listings, attempting to determine if your condition meets the outlined criteria for one of the many qualifying conditions for SSDI.
If youre unable to exactly meet Blue Book requirements, then the SSA will compare your medical records for a severity level match to a listed impairment. If your disability equals a qualified condition, then youre eligible for Social Security disability.
Can You Do Any Other Type Of Work
If you cant do the work you did in the past, we look to see if there is other work you could do despite your medical impairment.
We consider your medical conditions, age, education, past work experience, and any transferable skills you may have. If you cant do other work, well decide you qualify for disability benefits. If you can do other work, well decide that you dont have a qualifying disability and your claim will be denied.
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What Happens If I Have A Cochlear Implant For My Hearing Damage
The SSA considers you to be disabled until one year after initial implantation of the cochlear implant. If you still wish to receive benefits after that year, the SSA asks that you submit to word recognition testing. Your doctor can use any version of the Hearing in Noise Test for this requirement. Your implant must be functioning properly and adjusted to your normal settings during this test. Youll still qualify for benefits with your implant if you have a word recognition score of 60% or less.
What Conditions Qualify For Disability
Millions of Americans receive disability benefits from the Social Security Administration each month, and many more submit new applications every day. Disability benefit recipients have medical conditions that prevent them from being able to work and perform meaningful, gainful activity. The Social Security Administration has strict rules about what types of conditions qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Do you have an impairment and you are wondering whether you might qualify for benefits? Keep reading as we explain what conditions qualify for benefits as well as how you can qualify even if you do not have a specific condition listed in the SSA Blue Book.
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How Do I Prove That I Automatically Qualify For Disability Benefits
While there are certain benefits that may qualify you for disability benefits automatically, the Social Security Administration doesnt just rubber-stamp the approval. The SSA requires you to provide extensive medical records that show that your condition will qualify you. Even so, the insurance company could still make the argument that you are ineligible for benefits. The adjuster may look at selective medical records in an attempt to show that you should not be eligible for benefits. This could mean that you are initially denied, but need to prove your condition and need for benefits through an appeals process.
However, it is possible to get approved for disability if it is decided that your condition is limiting enough to keep you from working. This is where finding the right specialist that understands your full condition can be critical. A benefits attorney can help with this process.
In addition, even when you are approved, you may need to provide regular updates to the insurance company and Social Security Administration. Depending on your condition and what you were approved for, there is monitoring to see if you are able to improve to the point of being able to rejoin the workforce.
States With Their Own Medicaid Eligibility Criteria
The nine states are Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Social Security calls these nine states the “209 states” because it was section 209 of the Social Security Amendments of 1972 that gave states the option of using their own criteria for Medicaid. Note that Indiana ceased being a 209 state in 2014 and Ohio stopped in 2016.
The exact income, resource, and disability criteria for Medicaid eligibility differ from state to state among the 209 states. But except for Hawaii, the 209 income standards for the state are fairly close to the federal SSI income limit. Some of the 209 states also have different rules than Social Security for what is considered countable income. About half of the 209 states use the federal SSI resource limit as the asset limit for Medicaid, and half use a lower limit . Contact your state’s health and human services department to find out your state’s Medicaid income and asset limits.
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In Which States Does Social Security Automatically Enroll Ssi Recipients In Medicaid
The District of Columbia and the following thirty-four states let Social Security determine Medicaid eligibility using SSI criteria. They also allow Social Security to automatically enroll SSI recipients in Medicaid.
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Contacting A Reliable Monroe Social Security Attorney
The actual disability application process and submitting relevant paperwork to your local Social Security Office can be challenging in many ways. Both SSDI disability payments and SSI disability benefits are under the Social Security Administration , but they differ in many ways. This is where an experienced Monroe disability lawyer can provide legal assistance.
To clarify, it is not imperative for disability claimants to have impairments in the listing manual before being awarded disability benefits. Migraine headaches, for instance, are not listed in the blue book, but disability claims may be approved if the migraines make it impossible for the disabled individual to work a full-time job. A crucial aspect here is having a medically determinable impairment that reduces a persons ability to return to work . In this example, the migraines are severe enough and are well documented.
Filing for social security disability benefits is not easy, but it is more likely to go smoothly if you have the right people working with you. If you or any of your family members have a disability or recently became disabled, give us a call and consult with our reliable Monroe social security disability attorneys at E Orum Young. Contact our Monroe disability law firm and seek legal help for your application for social security benefits.
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You Earn Less Than Substantial Gainful Activity
By itself, having a recognized disability isnt enough to qualify an applicant for social security disability benefits. You must also be able to demonstrate that the disability interferes with your ability to work. More specifically, the disability must make you unable to participate in what the SSA calls substantial gainful activity . For 2020, that means being able to earn more than $1,260 per month, or $2,110 if you are blind .
Just like having a disability that is included in the SSA Blue Book isnt an automatic guarantee of eligibility for disability benefits, having monthly earnings that fall below the SGA threshold doesnt guarantee that your application will be approved. Neither does having earnings that exceed that threshold serve as an automatic disqualification.
If your monthly earnings exceed SGA, but you were provided special accommodations, worked irregular hours, or required frequent breaks to work, the SSA may still rule that you are eligible for disability benefits. Certain payments considered income for income tax purposes, such as alimony payments, are not counted as income for purposes of determining monthly income for SSD purposes.
Likewise, you can be ineligible for benefits even if you earn less than SGA. For example, if the SSA finds that you could perform other work, or could continue in your current job with accommodations. But earning less than the SGA when you apply for disability is a good indicator that your application will be approved.
What Does Meet A Listing Mean
Meeting a listing is the easiest way to prove eligibility and get approved for benefits. This means that your impairment matches exactly to the requirements of one of the impairments in the Blue Book. You must present medical evidence showing that you have had the proper diagnosis, testing, and symptoms that match the listing in the Blue Book. These listings are automatically assumed to be disabling, so meeting a listing means that you should get approved right away.
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The Social Security Administration Recognizes Your Condition As Disabling
Eligibility for social security disability benefits requires either that the disability lasts, or is expected to last, 12 months or longer, or will result in your death. This means that disability benefits are paid only for long-term disability short-term disability does not qualify.
The Social Security Administration Blue Book lists more than 100 medical conditions the SSA considers disabling. Each condition has specific criteria applicants must meet, through medical evidence, to prove their disability. Being able to meet these criteria doesnt guarantee that the SSA will rule that you are disabled enough to receive disability benefits. Some people can meet a listings criteria from a medical standpoint yet, either through workplace accommodations, treatment, or an ability to adapt to or work through any pain, still be able to work. But meeting the criteria for a specific listing increases your chances of approval.
The Basics Of Claiming Ssi Disability Benefits
If you are trying to qualify for social security benefits, it is essential to know why a good number of disabled people prefer SSI. For one, receiving benefits through the SSDI disability program is arguably more ideal for high-income earners since it accounts for previous monthly income. In contrast, disabled individuals with a relatively low income would likely receive more given the fixedSSI disability benefit. Additionally, people with disabilities who qualify for SSI are automatically eligible for Medicaid, which some prefer over what Medicare healthcare coverage can provide.
With certain benefits, however, are corresponding factors that you must take into consideration. Although individuals filing for disability claims under the SSI program are not required to have a certain work record, you must meet certain financial need requirements.
For a claimant to be eligible for SSI payments, they must be financially needy, as shown through the need-based income criteria set by the administration. In general, in claiming disability payments under this program, a cap for the total amount that an individual or a married couple can have, both in cash and in bank accounts, must be met.
If you have any clarifications on the nature of SSI payments or other disability programs, consult with a seasoned Monroe social security attorney.
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Schizophrenic And Other Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic disorders make up 4.8% of those on Social Security Disability benefits can include symptoms like:
- Catatonic behavior
- Disorganized speech
Symptoms can make it difficult to be social, complete activities, and engage in regular work. Delusional disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder are typical examples of psychotic disorders.
Ssi: A Lifeline For Children With Disabilities
Supplemental Security Income is the only source of federal income support targeted to families caring for children with disabilities, and it reaches only the lowest-income and most severely impaired children. These children live with conditions such as Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disability, and blindness. Their vulnerable families face higher costs, more demands on their time, and more insecurity than families not caring for a child with a disability. The modest income that SSI provides doesnt solve every problem these families face, but it reduces their struggles and helps provide the highly individualized supports their children may need.
Without SSI, many more children with disabilities would be in poverty.Without SSI, many more children with disabilities would be in poverty. SSI benefits lift half of otherwise-poor child beneficiaries out of poverty. Benefits particularly reduce deep poverty, lifting nearly 200,000 children with disabilities above 50 percent of the poverty line. In all, 1.2 million children with disabilities receive SSI benefits, averaging $650 a month.
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What Is The Social Security Disability 5
Under SSDI, employees win credits for the income that they earn every year. For every year, employees can earn up to four credits. The amount that you must earn to get one credit changes annually and goes up slightly as the average earnings level increases. As of 2023, you receive 1 credit for each $1,640 of earnings. The credits that you have once earned remain on your earnings record, even if there is a job change or you stop earning for a while.
Most people need a minimum of 40 work credits to qualify for SSDI benefits. The exact number of work credits that are needed depends on the applicants age and work history. However, at least 20 of those work credits must have been earned in 10 years immediately preceding your disability. Since you need to work for at least five years to gain 20 work credits, you must have worked for five out of ten years preceding your disability to qualify for SSDI benefits. This can be described as the Social Security Disability 5-year rule.
Younger workers have less stringent work requirements as compared to older workers but if you have not worked within the previous ten years, you are unlikely to qualify for SSDI benefits.
What Is The Compassionate Allowance Program
If you do not meet the SSDI qualifying conditions for a certain category, you might qualify for financial assistance under the Compassionate Allowance Program .
CAP represents an expedited process that grants SSDI applicants quicker access to financial resources than they would ordinarily receive. A majority of the Social Security disability qualifying conditions for CAP are defined as rare diseases, although some medical conditions are more commonly diagnosed.
The medical and scientific communities suggest new additions to the CAP list, and individuals also can recommend medical conditions to join the list of CAP diseases and illnesses.
Every medical condition that makes the CAP list is considered a serious ailment, with many of the medical conditions labeled as terminal illnesses.
To get the green light for CAP financial assistance from the SSA, you must present persuasive evidence that includes the results of every diagnostic test conducted for your particular ailment.
For example, diagnostic tests that demonstrate the rapid spread of a type of cancer can help you gain approval for a CAP application.
One of the Social Security disability of applying for a compassionate allowance is the SSA decides on your claim much quicker than if you went through the standard SSDI claim process. You might decide to work with a Social Security Disability advocate or a Social Security attorney to ensure your CAP claim includes the most convincing medical evidence possible.
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