The bigger an organization is, the more rules it needs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will assess your claim for Social Security Disability (SSD). It employs around 60,000 people and issues benefits to about 69 million. For things to function, it needs a lot of regulations.
When filing to claim SSD, you need to understand the SSA rules and abide by them. Failing to do so will result in staff rejecting your claim and you getting frustrated.
All SSD applicants must meet 3 standards
Before you get into the specifics of your condition, you need to be sure you comply with the basics:
- You have enough work credits: To qualify, you need to earn a certain amount of work credits within a specific period. If you have only worked part-time recently or taken an extended break, you might not meet the minimum requirements. If you are young and have not had sufficient time to build up the standard number of credits required, the SSA may apply lower standards.
- You cannot work: If you can continue your job with a few adaptations or change your role, you do not qualify. While your condition may make things harder for you, the rule is it must leave you unable to work.
- Your injury or illness will last a year: To count as a qualifying condition, it must prevent you from working for at least 12 months.
The one area where the SSA does have flexibility is in assessing the condition itself. The SSA Blue Book contains a list of ways for agency staff to judge different conditions. Yet, if your condition does not quite match, the agency may still approve your claim if you can find another way to show your condition qualifies. Provided, of course, that you comply with the three basic requirements.