Qualifying and obtaining disability benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA) is a long and complex process.  It is in your best interest to get a Springfield disability lawyer involved to increase your chances of success navigating through the experience.  

 

An applicant (or claimant) must meet both non-medical and medical requirements to qualify for one of two types of social security benefits – social security disability income (SSDI) or supplemental security income (SSI).  The non-medical requirements differ between these two, but the medical disability requirements are the same.  

 

The non-medical requirements

 

To qualify for SSI, the claimant’s income and assets must be low enough to be considered indigent.  To meet the non-medical requirements for SSDI, the claimant must have worked long enough and paid enough money into the social security system. Your Springfield disability lawyer can evaluate for you if you meet the requirements for either of these. 

 

The medical disability requirements

 

If you qualify under one of the non-disability categories, then you can continue on to see if you meet the medical disability requirements necessary for your disability claim to be approved by the SSA. The SSA applies a stringent evaluation process to your claim. This is a general overview of the process, but know that very specific terminology is used in the SSA’s regulations.  

 

There are basically two ways that you can qualify as being medically disabled.  The SSA regulations set forth a “list of impairments”. If your disability meets the standards for one of the listed impairments, then you are presumed to be unable to work, and will qualify as being disabled, and receive Social Security benefits.  

 

The tougher, more common route is that you will have to present medical evidence to prove that your disability symptoms are so severe that you are not able to perform any type of work. You must not be able to do any sort of substantial work, not just the previous work you did.  Providing credible evidence of the severity of the impairment and symptoms preventing you from working is not easy. Also, an applicant must have been disabled for a full twelve months.  Your Springfield disability lawyer will advise you what specifically you will need to do in your particular case for your claim to succeed.  

 

Contact Springfield disability lawyer today for a free consultation regarding your disability matter.