To be eligible for Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, you must have physical or mental health impairments (or a combination of impairments) severe enough to keep you from working in any regular, paying job for at least 12 months. The severity of your disability is not measured by whether or not you are able to go back to your old job, and it is not based on whether or not you have been able to find a job lately. Rather, the test is whether you are capable of performing jobs available in the local and national economies. See: Social Security Attorney Pennsylvania Additionally, claimants must be 18 or older and must have worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify for benefits.
You can apply for disability benefits online here. In order to complete your application for benefits, there is certain information you will need to gather, including a list of all the doctors that you treat with, dates of treatment, a list of your medications, and your work history for the past fifteen years. It is also helpful if you have access to your medical records. Once you have applied, the Social Security Administration will evaluate your claim and take into account your medical impairments, your age, your education, training and work experience.
Keep in mind that there are different rules for children’s claims. You can apply online for a child here.
Are you still unsure if you’re eligible for disability benefits? Do you have questions about completing your application? The experienced Social Security Disability lawyers at Metzger Wickersham can help. Contact our firm today for a free consultation. We can answer your questions and analyze the particular facts of your case under Social Security regulations.
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