Three Things You Should Know About Social Security Disability
Disability is designed to help people who can no longer work. It comes in the form of monthly checks. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about disability, so even if you believe you have a disability, the Social Security office may see it differently. The are a few of the important things you should know before you decide to file for disability.
There are minimum income requirements
Even if you have a qualifying disability, there are still income limits in place. If you earn beyond a specific amount of money, you will not qualify for disability. There are no exceptions to this. There are certain disabilities that people have been able to overcome. For this reason, the Social Security disability office has what they call the substantial gainful activity amount. This number places a limit on how much money can be earned through working. This amount is adjusted each year for inflation, but in 2018 it was $1180 for non-blind people. Other sources of income, such as Social Security, will count towards this number, but not necessarily the full amount. So if your income goes beyond the SGA, you may still qualify, but you should consult a Social Security disability attorney.
You can get temporary disability
If you are disabled but you foresee improvements to your health to the point where you will work again, you can still apply for disability. The laws are written in a way that anticipates that disabilities are not always permanent. However, you need to be disabled at the present time. Your case will be reviewed periodically to determine whether you are still disabled. When you apply for disability, you will need to provide documentation of your disability and why it prevents you from doing the work you normally do at the present time.
Not everybody can collect disability
Social Security disability is an entitlement program. As such, you must have paid into the system. And there is a requirement for the amount of time on the job that you paid into the system. At the present time, it is five of the last 10 years prior to your disability. So you cannot have been working for a couple of years and then collect for a disability.
The Social Security disability system can be complex, and not everybody with a disability can collect. The above information, although helpful, is not a substitute for an attorney with experience in disability law. Always consult disability lawyers with any legal questions that you may have.