An article by the deputy commissioner, on Social Security’s website, lays out factors Social Security uses to determine entitlement to disability benefits. Social Security disability benefits are supposed to be there for you if the unexpected happens and you must stop working. Social Security provides vital financial support to tens of millions of American workers, through both retirement benefits and social Security disability benefits. Many Americans must stop working before they reach retirement age when a serious medical condition prevents them from being able to support themselves and their families. The article states:

In such cases, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits, which replace a portion of lost income when a worker becomes seriously disabled. Here are three of the key factors we use to determine if you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits:

• You must have a lasting medical condition so severe that it prevents you from doing the work that you did in the past or adjusting to other types of work;
• Your physical or mental impairment(s) must have lasted or be expected to last at least a year or result in death; and
• You must have worked long enough — and recently enough — in jobs covered by Social Security.

To learn more, please visit Social Security’s disability home page.

You become eligible for Social Security benefits by working and paying FICA taxes, which translate into Social Security “credits.” How many credits you need to receive disability benefits depends on how old you are when you become disabled.

For example, if you become disabled at age 31 or older, you generally must have earned at least 20 credits in the 10 years immediately before you became disabled. Twenty credits are equal to five years of substantial earnings. Younger workers may qualify with fewer credits.

To see how many credits you have earned and to estimate future benefits, please log in to or create your my Social Security account.

Those who have not worked enough to qualify for Social Security benefits may be eligible for help through the Supplemental Security Income program, or “SSI.” SSI provides financial assistance to disabled children and adults, as well as the aged and blind people, who have little or no income or resources. Learn more on the SSI home page.

If you have become disabled or have been denied for Social Security benefits, we can help. With offices in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, we cover all Social Security districts in Louisiana, as well as those in Mississippi and East Texas. We meet our clients at hearing offices in Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Houma, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport, Monroe, McComb, Jackson, Greenville, and Hattiesburg. Call us today at 225-281-7715 for a free consultation regarding your case. Feel free to email us to discuss your case at jeff@nicholsonlawfirmllc.com.