Last updated on January 1st, 2025
If you become disabled, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can provide beneficial financial support until your physical condition improves – if it ever does. You’re entitled to these benefits based on your contributions from your earnings and your work history. A skilled Social Security disability attorney in Indiana can provide legal support for a seamless application. Never hesitate to discuss your SSDI claim with Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz today.
Even so, you must go through a complex application process to receive these benefits. Any SSDI applicant must complete the Social Security disability claim process and provide significant supporting documentation. You can miss out on the benefits you need because of simple errors or a failure to meet specific requirements.
You may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance if you have:
The Social Security Administration pays benefits to people who are unable to work for a year or more due to disability. There is also a five-month waiting period, so you’ll receive the first check on the 6th month after your disability begins.
If you continue to work, the condition must limit your ability to earn an amount called ‘’Substantial Gainful Activity’’ (SGA). The current SGA is $1,550 monthly or $2,590 if considered blind under SSA rules. The SSA applies different rules to determine SGA for self-employed individuals.
You must have worked for at least 5 of the last 10 years to qualify for disability. Those 24 years and younger do not need to have worked as long to be eligible.
Yes. Your child may qualify for disability under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for children. SSI issues monthly cash payments to cater to the basic needs of children who have physical or mental disabilities or are blind.
Children younger than 18 can get SSI if they meet the Social Security criteria, including households with limited income and resources. Here’s the SSA definition of disability in children:
Children’s benefits usually stop at 18, except when they are full-time students up to 19 or if they have a qualifying disability. A child may benefit as a minor on a parent’s Social Security record.
If so, they may be eligible to continue receiving benefits on a parent’s record upon reaching 18 if they have a qualifying disability.
Many conditions can qualify for disability as long as they are severe enough to keep you from working. Here are various conditions that might qualify for disability:
A mental health condition is eligible for disability if it has a long-term impact on your day-to-day activities. People with mental health conditions may qualify for disability if the illness prevents them from maintaining gainful employment.
Some of the mental conditions that may qualify for disability include:
If you have limited mobility or experience pain when performing basic tasks, you’re likely a candidate for disability. Orthopedic conditions hinder the ability to walk, sit, stand, or lift items for extended periods.
You can apply for disability if you have conditions like chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, severe sciatica, and inflammatory arthritis.
Your condition may qualify for disability if:
If you suffer from specific lung and respiratory conditions, you may qualify for disability benefits.
Social Security administrators may use the following criteria to determine the severity of your respiratory condition:
Common respiratory illnesses that may qualify for disability include:
If you have a cardiovascular condition, you may qualify for disability if you meet specific requirements. SSA has a particular category in the Blue Book for cardiovascular impairments, disorders that affect the proper functioning of the heart or circulatory system.
Here’s a list of heart problems listed in the cardiovascular impairments:
When severe or difficult to treat, some digestive system disorders may qualify for disability benefits. The SSA may evaluate symptoms or past surgeries to indicate your disability—for example, someone who suffers weight loss because of a digestive disorder or digestive hemorrhage that necessitates a blood transfusion.
Common digestive problems eligible for disability include:
Providing accurate information in your disability application affects the start date for your potential benefits. SSA may reject your application if you don’t complete the form as required, entirely, and on time.
You should, therefore, avoid the following mistakes to enhance your chances of a positive outcome:
If you’ve received a decision from SSA that you disagree with, you should contact a disability attorney immediately. They can send a request for an appeal in writing.
There are four possible stages of the appeal process:
If the SSA denies your application, you should submit an appeal within 60 days, a process called request for consideration.
The next stage involves a hearing by an administrative law judge who did not participate in the first or reconsideration determination. A judge decides by evaluating all evidence in your case.
If you disagree with the decision of an administrative Law Judge, you may request an Appeals Council to review your decision. If the appeals council accepts your request for review, they may issue a new decision or return the case to an administrative judge for further action.
If you disagree with the appeals council’s decision, you can file a lawsuit in a Federal District Court.
If you do not file an appeal within the 60-day time limit, you may lose your right to a review. You can attempt to re-open it by sending an appeal to the local Social Security office with a note of why you missed the deadline.
Working with a Social Security disability attorney can enhance your chances of a claim rejection. More importantly, it doesn’t cost you any money upfront.
Here are only some benefits of working with an attorney:
The ability to cope with a temporary or permanent disability depends on the value of benefits you obtain from the Social Security Administration. Your case deserves representation from an experienced attorney who’ll demonstrate the severity of your disability and its impact on your life.
Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz have reputable Social Security disability attorneys with decades of experience representing injured victims.
Contact us online or at 1.937.222.2222 for a free case evaluation.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Doug Mann who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury attorney.
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