Have you worked during five of the last ten years? Did you earn sufficient work credits to be considered vested in the system? Have you become disabled and unable to work for at least a 12-month period or longer? If you answered “yes” to these questions, or believe the answer is “yes,” but are not sure, The Law Office of Fred S. London, P.C. can help. We have been serving residents of the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas for over 25 years. When it comes to applying and qualifying for SSDI Disability, our staff are experts in the field. We offer a completely free, no obligation assessment for all disability cases. We cannot only help answer if SSDI Disability is right for you, we can also determine if you are better qualified for some other form of disability compensation. Typically, if you do not meet the work requirements for SSDI based benefits, you may likely qualify for SSI disability benefits.
Understanding What It means to Be Disabled
The Social Security Administration defines being disabled as the inability to sustain or engage in activity that is gainful. In simple terms, if you are physically or mentally incapable of maintaining gainful employment, then you can be considered disabled. Common examples of disability that we see in our clients in the Washington, DC area are conditions such as arthritis, chronic back pain, anxiety, and asthma. When then conditions are severe enough that they affect the person’s ability to fully function, they can become the basis for disability. It should be noted though; that a person can be considered disabled, but still not fully qualify for SSDI Disability.
Employment Qualifications for SSDI Disability
One of the most confusing requirements that our clients can encounter are the regulations regarding employment history. In order to be considered for SSDI Disability, a person has to not only be classifiable as disabled, they must also have worked enough to become vested in the Social Security system. What this boils down to is that out of the last ten years, a client must have worked at least five years to earn enough work credits. Compensation through SSDI is based on how much you have paid into the system. As an example, if a client is young and became disabled at the age of 24, he or she only needs six work credits. However, if a client becomes disabled at the age of 50, the will need 28 credits. For our clients that were full time and steady workers, disability through SSDI is their best option. When there has not been sufficient or recent work history, then our staff can help you apply for SSI disability benefits, as you may not be eligible for SSDI benefits. As you can see, disability compensations are a complicated matter. Let our experts at the law offices of Fred. S. London help you get the maximum amount of benefits that the law allows.
