SSDI, Social Security disability insurance is a program under the auspices of the US Federal government. The entire objective of SSDI is to provide people who have proven to the satisfaction of the administration that they are truly either physically or mentally disabled with a monthly cash sum. A component of the application is to prove the disability will last at least 12 months or the individual is expected to die as a result. To be even eligible you must have been gainfully employed and paid FICA taxes into the system, you must have accumulated enough work credits and the disability that you claim you have must be one which meets the definition acceptable to the SSA. These are a lot of rules, they make it difficult to make an application and have it approved right away. As a result most applicants turn to a seasoned Social Security attorney in Tallahassee.
How to become eligible for Social Security benefits:
Most people realize that Social Security has more than one mandate, it provides assistance for those who are disabled, it also provides a monthly sum to people who have paid into the system and reached the age of retirement. It is hard to even think of a reason why an applicant for retirement benefits would be denied, this is certainly not the case when the applicant is a disabled individual. To apply, the person must have worked long enough to accumulate sufficient work credits. It is possible to earn four credits for every year of employment; to apply for disability the individual must have 40 of them. Of these 40 credits, 20 of them have to have been earned in the 10 years leading up to the date of the application. If these stipulations can be met the applicant can apply for SSDI, in the event he or she cannot meet the criteria then the person can apply for SSI. SSI is based on income and not work, it as well has strict provisions on who can avail of the benefits. If you have doubts as to where you stand it is best to consult with a knowledgeable disability attorney in Tallahassee.
Medical eligibility:
If you clear the “work credits” hurdle you are faced with having to meet the eligibility criteria. The SSA has a definition in what they call the “blue book” which defines the specifics of every disability that is eligible. The disability must be one which will impair the applicant’s ability to work for at least a year or thought by the doctors to be fatal.
Approval of benefits:
If your application is approved on the initial try then you are very much in the minority. The greatest majority of applications are denied, this is when a disability attorney in Tallahassee is invaluable as the appeals process is quite complex.
As the application process for Social Security disability benefits is complex and often frustrating it is best to hire a disability attorney in Tallahassee to help with the process.
