In your eyes, you may believe that your incurred disability is serious enough to constitute government aid, namely through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits program. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will care not only about its severity, but also the duration it is expected to be this severe. And with that said, please continue reading to learn how to effectively prove to the SSA that you have a long-term disability that qualifies for SSDI benefits and how one of the experienced attorneys in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help guide you on this.
How long does my disability need to last to qualify for SSDI benefits?
As a general rule of thumb, the SSA wants to know that your disability has persisted for 12 months, or otherwise it is expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months. Or, lastly, that it will likely result in your unfortunate passing. This is because anything shorter than 12 months is deemed short-term, and the SSDI benefits program does not cover short-term disabilities.
From here, it is worth mentioning that once your disability is determined as a long-term one, there is an imposed five-month waiting period. That is, you may only receive your first SSDI benefits payment the sixth full month since this determination date. This is, again, an extra measure to confirm that your condition is expected to persist.
How can I effectively convince the SSA that I have a long-term disability?
Of course, you cannot predict the future. And so, you may be unsure whether your disability will last for at least 12 months, and whether you should get started on the SSDI benefits application process since now.
Well, based on the type of disability you have, you may be able to make an educated guess on whether you will have it for the long-term (i.e., a neurological disorder, cardiovascular disorder, chronic musculoskeletal condition, etc). However, the SSA makes these decisions case-by-case, so you should focus on your condition and not compare it to others.
With that being said, the best possible way to predict this timeline is through a medical professional’s input. Notably, the SSA will be interested to hear this expert opinion, as well. All of this to say, you should gather the following types of medical evidence from a professional to effectively convince the SSA of your long-term disability:
- Diagnostic test results from the X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, and lab work conducted by medical professionals.
- Records of your hospital stays in which you have received ongoing care from medical professionals.
- Records of your medication refills, in which you have been continuously prescribed by medical professionals.
- Consultative examination results, in which the functional limitations of your disability were deduced by medical professionals.
- Written testimonies by medical professionals, in which your disability’s severity and the duration of this severity are noted.
There is no need to go through the important process of applying for SSDI benefits alone. Please seek the support and assistance of one of the skilled attorneys in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey. Contact The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur today.
