 SSDRC What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? How do you Win Benefits under Social Security Disability or SSI? If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits? How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much does a Social Security disability attorney get paid? Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability SSI and Fibromyalgia Social Security Disability SSI and Degenerative Disc Disease Can I Qualify For Disability and Receive Benefits based on Depression? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability Status Social Security Disability Tips — how a claim gets worked on Social Security Disability, SSI Disability - Terms, Definitions, Concepts |
How Disabled Must You be to get Social Security Disability Approved?How to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits In order to qualify for disability benefits, you must be impaired to the extent that you are unable to earn the substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount each month, for a period of not less than one year. The SGA amount is determined each year by the Social Security Administration, and if you are able to earn at least this amount or more, you will not qualify for disability benefits regardless of your level of disability. Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are not awarded on the basis of the severity of the impairment alone. Rather, disability benefits are awarded to those who are unable to perform substantial, gainful work as a result of limitations placed upon them by their symptoms. There is no condition that guarantees disability approval. For adults, the standard of proof is medical documentation of a physical or mental impairment that prevents them from performing any job they have held in the past 15 years, or any other job that someone of their age, educational background, work skills, and of course physical or mental limitations could perform. For children, the standard of proof is medical and educational documentation that indicates they are not able to function at the same academic or social level as their peers. So, when applying for disability, the question is not simply how disabled you are, but how your disability limits your ability to function at work, at home, or if you are a child, in an educational environment. In addition, the appearance of disability is not always a good indicator of how impaired a person truly is. Many mental disorders remain largely hidden; even schizophrenia symptoms can often be controlled to some extent with medication. However, this is a far cry from assuming that someone with schizophrenia is capable of holding gainful employment. In other disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, asthma, manic depression, etc., symptoms can be subject to flare-ups or cyclical in nature. Again, even if the level of disability is not constant, Social Security does not measure one’s level of impairment by the appearance of disability, but by what medical records indicate about this individual’s ability to function. Vocational placement is just as much a part of a disability examiner or judge’s decision-making process as any medical limitations a claimant has, which is why people who are younger, have more education, work skills, etc., are less likely to be awarded disability and more likely to be denied on the basis that it is easier for them to switch jobs or be trained to perform some other type of work. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Individual Questions and Answers SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |