Being ill is no guarantee that a person will receive social security disability. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has many eligibility guidelines and requirements. Applicants may be eligible for either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance. (SSDI) SSI is for people who are disabled, have little work history and limited income. SSDI applicants have a work history with employers who paid social security taxes.
The most important element of securing benefits is proving disability. The SSA defines disability as “a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing any gainful activity and will last at least one year or will cause your death.” The agency uses its own doctors and vocational experts to verify that an applicant is disabled. Applicants approved for SSDI usually receive benefits in the amount of $800 to $1400 per month. Further, the applicant is eligible for medicare after two years. Single SSI recipients are awarded $721 per month, and married couples receive $1,082 per month. Nash Disability law files appeals for applicants who are denied benefits. The Plainfield Disability Lawyers represent clients in all levels of social security appeals.
There are several reasons that someone may be denied. For example, the agency cannot find you. The application process takes several months, and many people move during that time. If the agency loses contact with an applicant, the claim may be denied. Clients at Nash Disability Law won’t have this problem, because the agency communicates with the lawyer. Medical records are vital to proving disability. If an applicant refuses to grant the agency access to records, their claim will also be denied.
Many times, the agency requires applicants to visit a particular doctor, and benefits are denied for someone who refuses. The agency will not approve disabilities based on drug addiction or alcoholism. The agency assumes that applicants would not be disabled if they stopped drinking or using drugs. In addition, applicants disabled during the commission of a felony are not awarded benefits. Disability applications are complicated and that is why people need lawyers. Benefits should be available when people can’t work and need financial resources.
