How To Determine Eligibility For Social Security Disability Benefits

March 8, 2013

When a person becomes unable to work due to a health condition, one of the first questions they will often ask is, “Am I eligible to receive Social Security Disability Benefits?”

The Social Security Disability Attorneys with the law firm of Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin explain the answer to this question relies on several different factors. The most important requirement to consider is if you have put enough time into the system to collect benefits.

An article from the Houston Chronicle stated an individual seeking to collect Social Security Disability Benefits must have at least put in 40 quarters of coverage. Also, 20 of those quarters must have been put into the system in the past decade. The only exception to the rule is if an individual is too young to have worked the 40 quarters.

Another important factor that will then be examined is how debilitating your condition is. There is now a list of more than 200 conditions that allow a claim to be processed through a fast-track system. If a claimant’s condition is not on the list, the claim will be further evaluated by examining the claimant’s work status and ability.

An adjustor may ask if a claimant is still currently working. If so, does their condition limit their ability to continue doing their job? If a person is unable to do the job they previously did, the question of whether they could do a different job may be asked as well.