Are You Unable To Continue Working? Your Disability Options: SSDI

Are you unable to continue working? Do you have a disability that prevents you from being gainfully employed? You have options. Federal law provides benefits for those who meet the qualifications of the Social Security Act (the “Act”).

Administered by the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), the largest Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities are the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs. Individuals who have a “disability” as defined under the Social Security Act and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.

If you've worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays benefits to claimants and certain members of their families if they meet the definition of “insured” under the Act. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pays benefits based on financial necessity.

An applicant's medical condition must meet all of the Act's requirements to constitute a “disability” that qualifies for benefits. This condition must significantly limit an applicant's ability to do basic work such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, and remembering for at least 12 months.

An applicant may qualify for SSDI if she has a medical condition that the Act considers so severe that it prevents her from completing substantial gainful activity. Of course, any alleged disabling condition must be supported by medical evidence. If this condition prevents an applicant from performing any past work, the SSA will decide that she has a qualifying disability, provided there is no other work the applicant may do.

Establishing a case for disability benefits requires an advocate familiar with the process. Not only this, but knowledge of special situations and those initiatives that expedite the processing of disability claims is invaluable. Fifty years after James Powell, Sr. founded Powell Law in 1906, the Social Security Act was signed into law.