 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 |
To get Social security Disability or SSI do you have to have Total Disability?How to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits Yes, to be awarded benefits under social security disability or the SSI program, your condition has to be considered totally disabling by SSA under their particular rules and guidelines. What is total disability according to the social security administration? Essentially, the definition of disability used by SSA states a person's disabling condition (which may be physical, or mental, or a combination of several conditions that may be physical or mental in nature) must last a certain minimum length of time before that person may be considered disabled. That minimum is one full year. If the individual who is attempting to qualify for disability benefits does not remain disabled for at least this length of time, they are not considered to be disabled according to the social security administration definition of disability. Length of time, however, is not the only part of the definition of disability. The other, and equally important part is that the condition must be severe. And not just minimally severe. The severity level must be extensive enough that the individual cannot engage in normal activities and, more specifically, cannot perform the duties of their past jobs. Even more than this, the condition must be severe enough that the person applying for disability cannot be expected--because of the functional limitations presented by their medical condition or mental condition--to have the ability to use their education and work skills to switch to some type of other work. This is what social security means by total disability, that a person's condition makes it impossible for them to work and earn a livable income at one of their old jobs, or at a job that their skills and talents might otherwise qualify them for. Note: to meet the SSA definition of disability, a person's disabling condition or conditions must last for at least one year (while also preventing work activity). However, this does not mean that a person must wait for a full year after developing a condition, or wait one year after stopping work to file for disability. An individual with a disabling condition can apply at any time for benefits. At the time a decision is made on the claim, if the claimant's condition has not lasted for the one year minimum duration thus far, the disability examiner or the social security judge (if the case is at the hearing level) can review the claimant's medical records to determine if it likely that the functional limitations caused by the claimant's condition will inevitably last for at least one full year. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Topics and Questions How long does a social security disability hearing last? Is it hard to qualify for Social Security benefits if you have depression ? Filing for SSD Disability - When Should You put in a Claim? Why does Representation increase the win ratio at a Social Security Disability or SSI Hearing? What does Social Security Disability Representation Provide? Applying for disability benefits in Florida Can you be approved for disability without having to go to a hearing ? Supplemental Security Income - SSI Disability How long does it take to get a social security disability hearing decision? What is the maximum back pay you can get for Social Security disability ? What are the SSI disability qualifications for Adults and Children? Disability Attorneys- Will they do your forms for you? What Happens If You File A Late Social Security Appeal? Filing for SSI Disability What are the Odds or Chances of Being Approved for Disability? Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in Pennsylvania If you are applying for Social Security disability when does Medicare start ? If you have had a heart attack will you qualify for Social Security disability? Are the Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Higher at a Social Security Hearing with a Judge? Social Security Attorneys and What they do for you What Does It Mean If you Are Denied For Disability Because Of Other Work? How many disability appeals do you get ? The Levels Of The Social Security Disability and SSI Application and Appeal Process Social Security Disability Advice from the Wrong Sources How Quickly must you file an Appeal if a Disability Claim is Denied? Applying for disability benefits in Kentucky Social Security Disability SSI and Activities of Daily Living Social Security On The Record Disability Decisions 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 |