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What requirements must I meet to be eligible for Social Security Disability?

An SSD lawyer can tell you whether you can get benefits, considering the “credit system” and your medical condition

There are certain requirements a person must meet in order to be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.

  1. The individual must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in the past (See “Social Security Credits” below).
  2. The disability must prevent the applicant from returning to her job and from performing other work as a result of a medical condition.
  3. The medical condition must result in either a disability that lasts greater than one year, or in death.

To ensure that an individual has a long-term disability, Social Security Disability benefits are not available until a person has been disabled for five full calendar months. These benefits are not available to those suffering from partial or short-term disabilities.

This often creates a serious problem for car accident victims with auto negligence cases. Read on for information on what happens if you are approved for SSD benefits.

Social Security credits

To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, an individual must also have a minimum number of “credits.” Credits are calculated based on how long a person works and how much he pays in Social Security taxes.

The amount of income required to earn a credit varies from year to year. For example, in 2007, $1,000 in covered earnings was equivalent to one credit. A maximum of four credits may be earned annually.

Certain medical conditions can bar you from SSD

The Social Security Administration has produced a list of medical conditions which, if diagnosed by a medical provider, will automatically disable someone from receiving disability benefits. This list, Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, is from the Social Security Administration website.

If a person suffers from a condition that is not listed, she must be able to show that she’s unable to return to any type of work as a result of her disability.

Social Security Disability lawyers and Michigan Auto Law

Keep in mind that if your No-Fault insurer requests that you apply for Social Security, you do have a duty to cooperate, but your duty has limits. Contact a Michigan auto lawyer at (800) 968-1001 as soon as an insurance adjuster instructs you to apply. Or fill out our free consultation form. We can help take the guess work out of this complicated process, so you can recover from your accident.

There is absolutely no fee or obligation.