Social Security Disability is the only form of federal income assistance designed specifically to help people who cannot work due to illness or injury. If you qualify, you may be able to collect Social Security Disability payments and Medicare benefits as well.
What Makes Someone Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits?
Eligibility for Social Security Disability depends on your age, your earnings record, and the severity of your illness or injury.
Social Security Disability is paid to people who are 65 years old or older and have worked and earned $1,225 per month or less over the past 15 years.
Eligibility for Social Security Disability begins as soon as you are approved to receive Medicaid. To apply for Social Security Disability, you must submit an application to the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration will then determine whether you meet the requirements for Social Security Disability.
The Social Security Administration determines whether you qualify for Social Security Disability by reviewing the information on your application. If you do not qualify for Social Security Disability, you may still be eligible to receive Medicare or Medicaid. You may also qualify for Social Security Disability if your illness or injury is caused by a condition that began before you turned 22, if you have a mental or emotional disorder, or if you are blind or disabled.
To qualify for Social Security Disability, you need to have worked for a certain number of quarters during your working life. For example, if you started working in 1982, you must have worked for at least 1,000 hours in the last 16 years.
You also need to have earned at least $1,225 a month from wages or self-employment income. If you earn too much money from your own business, you may have to reduce your earnings. If you receive Social Security Disability, you will continue to receive Social Security benefits and Medicare benefits until you die.
To receive Social Security Disability, you must have a severe impairment that limits your ability to work. The Social Security Administration defines a severe impairment as one that causes limitations that prevent you from doing any substantial gainful activity.
If you have a mental or emotional disorder that prevents you from working, you can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
You may qualify for Social Security Disability if you have a physical or mental illness that meets certain requirements. A physical or mental illness is defined as an impairment that is lasting and continuous, meaning that it continues without an expected improvement.
If you suffer from epilepsy, asthma, a heart condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, drug addiction, Parkinson's disease, or another mental or physical illness, you may qualify for Social Security Disability.
If you have a mental or physical illness that is expected to improve, the Social Security Administration will not consider it to be a severe impairment. However, if you have an impairment that does not improve and is expected to last for at least 12 months, you may qualify for Social Security Disability.
The Social Security Administration will not consider your condition to be severe if it is caused by a traumatic injury, such as a stroke, an auto accident, or a workplace injury.
If you have a serious medical condition, such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, or a disability that has resulted from amputation, it can be considered a severe impairment.
A mental condition that is not severe can also be a reason to receive Social Security Disability. For example, if you are diagnosed with depression, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.
To qualify for Social Security Disability, you must be unable to work because of a medical condition or an impairment. The Social Security Administration considers the following to be impairments:
• Heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or high blood pressure.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema, bronchitis, or chronic lung disease.
• Kidney disease, including chronic kidney failure.
• Neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Digestive disorders, including Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
• Diabetes, including type I and II diabetes.
• Musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis, bursitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma.
• Blindness, deafness, or partial hearing loss.
If you qualify for Social Security Disability, you may also qualify for Medicare.
To qualify for Medicare, you must be 65 years old, disabled, and enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. You also need to have paid Medicare taxes for the last 3 years.
You may also qualify for Medicare if you are disabled and were previously entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. The Social Security Administration will reevaluate your eligibility for Social Security Disability after 2 years of receiving Medicare.
If you qualify for Medicare, you may also qualify for Medicaid.
Medicare and Medicaid are the two health programs administered by the federal government. They are separate programs, but they cover the same groups of people.