Who Is Eligible for SSD and SSI?

Pittsburgh Social Security Lawyer

The American citizens have decided that persons who are unable to support themselves because of illness or disability deserve an income that can provide them with some comfort and security. This income is provided under two federal programs administered by the Social Security Administration — Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that provide monthly benefits to those who are unable to work.

As with other governmental programs however, the Social Security Administration (SSA) applies strict rules for eligibility. Obtaining benefits is not always easy, even when the disability and illness are obvious. You need the representation of an experienced SSD eligibility lawyer to obtain the benefits to which you are entitled.

Call 724.390.4464 or 866.540.4180 Toll Free for a consultation with Sweeney Law Offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We can evaluate your eligibility for SSD or SSI and discuss how we can help you.

Determining SSD Eligibility

Social Security Disability provides benefits for persons with work histories who become ill or disabled, and are not able to work.

In some ways, SSD is like car insurance. If you have worked at a job, you and your employer were taxed to support the program. And like an insurance policy, you can file a claim to obtain benefits if you are injured or fall ill and are unable to work. However, there are strict rules for SSD eligibility. You must have worked long enough to qualify for the program, and you must be currently employed or recently employed. Once you stop working, you have only a limited time to file a claim.

Determining SSI Eligibility

Supplemental Security Income provides benefits for persons without recent work histories or who are otherwise ineligible for SSD, who become ill or disabled, and are not able to work. In almost every other respect, the SSI claims and appeals process is the same as for SSD.

To become eligible for SSD or SSI benefits, you must demonstrate that you:

• Cannot do any gainful work due to medical factors or non-medical factors
• Have a medical doctor who can testify that you cannot work
• Have supporting evidence in the form of medical testing results and other documentation

There is no list of conditions that automatically qualifies a person for SSD or SSI. The SSA reviews claims on a case-by-case basis. A diagnosis and supporting documentation of a medical condition, a physical disability, mental illness, a debilitating disease, or a combination of disabilities, can be enough to secure your eligibility.

Sweeney Law Offices has extensive experience in SSD and SSI matters and understands the guidelines SSA uses to determine eligibility for these programs. Let us put that experience to work for you.

For a consultation with an SSD eligibility attorney at Sweeney Law Offices call 724.390.4464 or 866.540.4180 Toll Free, or contact us online.