Social Security Disability Insurance: Your Safety Net

You may be able to obtain benefits to you and also certain members of your family if you are "insured." This means you worked for enough time and paid taxes into the Social Security system. Your adult child may also be eligible for benefits under your earnings record if she or he has a disability which began before age twenty-two. The law offices of Kassin and Carrow are pleased to present you with this helpful guidance.

Medical and other information will be collected when the government makes a decision about benefits. According to the U.S. Social Security Administration's website, a 20-year-old worker has a 30 percent chance of being disabled before reaching the age of retirement.

When determining if somebody is disabled, the federal government uses five questions:

Is the person employed? If you're employed and your total earnings are more than $1,010.00 per month, you usually can't be considered disabled. If you're not working or your total earnings are under $1,010.00 per month on account of a medical condition, then the SSA will go to the next question.

Would the condition that the person is suffering from be classified as "severe"? Your condition must interfere with basic work related activities for your claim to be viewed. If your condition is not severe, then the SSA will not find you disabled. If your condition is severe, then the SSA will proceed to the next question.

Would the individual's particular condition be located on the official standardized list of disabling conditions? The regulations list impairment for each one of the major body systems that are so serious they automatically mean you are disabled. If your condition is not on the list, then the SSA has to decide if it is of equal severity to an impairment on the list. If your condition matches or equals one of the listed impairments, then the SSA will discover that you are disabled. If your condition doesn't meet or equal one of the listed impairments, then the SSA moves to the next question.

Is the individual able to carry on working in the same manner in which they did before being stricken with the condition? If your condition is severe, but not at the same or equal severity as a condition on the list then the SSA will have to determine if the condition interferes with your ability to do the work that you did formerly. If your condition does not prevent you from doing your previous work, then the SSA will not find you disabled. If your condition prevents you from performing your past work, then the SSA will head to the next question.

Is the person capable of getting some other means of a steady income? If you can not do the work that you did in the past, then the SSA determines if you are able to adjust to other employment. The SSA views your medical conditions, your age, education, prior work experience, and any transferable skills that you might have obtained. If you can't adjust to other work, then the SSA will find you disabled.

When you withstand this labyrinth of questions, the following are going to be available to you:

• You will be eligible for Medicare health insurance or Medicaid, dependent on the kind of Social Security benefit
• You might receive yearly cost of living increases
• You may receive tax advantages or get your benefits tax-free
• You may shield any potential future Social Security benefits (with Retirement or Survivors benefits if eligible).
• You may qualify for vocational rehabilitation programs or work incentives to get you back to work.
• Your spouse or children might be qualified to receive benefits on your record.

St. Louis, MO SSDI benefit seekers should turn to the trusted law offices of Kassin and Carrow. They've got plenty of experience making sure that individuals with disabilities in Belleville, Granite City, Alton, Edwardsville, Arnold, St. Peters, and St. Louis, Missouri receive the benefits that they have earned.