Medical SSDI Eligibility

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A crucial part of claiming benefits under the Social Security disability insurance program is proving that you're severely disabled. A severe disability is a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing any work for at least a year (or that's expected to be terminal).

The determination of whether you're disabled leaves a lot of room for argument. The fact that your doctor may have advised you not to work, or that you feel too ill to work, doesn't necessarily mean that the SSA will agree that you're disabled.

The SSA evaluates disability claims using its own medical experts and claims examiners. These decision-makers use a list of physical and mental conditions in the "Blue Book" to determine if your condition is severe enough for an automatic approval of benefits. If it's not, they'll use evaluations of your "residual functional capacity" to decide whether you're disabled. In all, Social Security uses five steps to determine if your medical condition meets the definition of disability 

A crucial part of claiming benefits under the Social Security disability insurance program is proving that you're severely disabled. A severe disability is a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing any work for at least a year (or that's expected to be terminal).

The determination of whether you're disabled leaves a lot of room for argument. The fact that your doctor may have advised you not to work, or that you feel too ill to work, doesn't necessarily mean that the SSA will agree that you're disabled.

The SSA evaluates disability claims using its own medical experts and claims examiners. These decision-makers use a list of physical and mental conditions in the "Blue Book" to determine if your condition is severe enough for an automatic approval of benefits. If it's not, they'll use evaluations of your "residual functional capacity" to decide whether you're disabled. In all, Social Security uses five steps to determine if your medical condition meets the definition of disability 

A crucial part of claiming benefits under the Social Security disability insurance program is proving that you're severely disabled. A severe disability is a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing any work for at least a year (or that's expected to be terminal).

The determination of whether you're disabled leaves a lot of room for argument. The fact that your doctor may have advised you not to work, or that you feel too ill to work, doesn't necessarily mean that the SSA will agree that you're disabled.

The SSA evaluates disability claims using its own medical experts and claims examiners. These decision-makers use a list of physical and mental conditions in the "Blue Book" to determine if your condition is severe enough for an automatic approval of benefits. If it's not, they'll use evaluations of your "residual functional capacity" to decide whether you're disabled. In all, Social Security uses five steps to determine if your medical condition meets the definition of disability 

A crucial part of claiming benefits under the Social Security disability insurance program is proving that you're severely disabled. A severe disability is a physical or mental condition that prevents you from doing any work for at least a year (or that's expected to be terminal).

The determination of whether you're disabled leaves a lot of room for argument. The fact that your doctor may have advised you not to work, or that you feel too ill to work, doesn't necessarily mean that the SSA will agree that you're disabled.

The SSA evaluates disability claims using its own medical experts and claims examiners. These decision-makers use a list of physical and mental conditions in the "Blue Book" to determine if your condition is severe enough for an automatic approval of benefits. If it's not, they'll use evaluations of your "residual functional capacity" to decide whether you're disabled. In all, Social Security uses five steps to determine if your medical condition meets the definition of disability

Members of your immediate family may also qualify for Social Security benefits based on your work, if you qualify for benefits. They include:

• your spouse, at age 62 or older
• your spouse or former spouse, at any age, who is caring for a child of yours who is younger than age 16 or disabled
• your unmarried child who is under age 18, or under age 19 if in secondary school full-time, and
• your unmarried child who is age 18 or older, if they have a disability that started before age 22 ("adult child" benefits).

Your former spouse may also qualify for benefits based on your earnings record if you were married for at least 10 years and your ex is not currently married. The money paid to a divorced spouse does not reduce your benefit or any benefits owed to a current spouse or children.