“Can I quality for SSI or SSDI benefits?” has become an eternal question akin to “Do I actually need a social security disability lawyer?” While the answer to the latter question is definitely “Yes,” to answer the former question you will need a… (surprise, surprise!) lawyer.
If you do not know how the SSDI or SSI program works (and they do not always work like a finely oiled machine, to tell you the truth), it is almost impossible to tell whether or not your medical condition would actually qualify for social security disability benefits.
Our Everett eligibility for SSI or SSDI benefits attorney at Russell & Hill, PLLC, explains that a wide variety of factors will have to be examined, including but not limited to medical and non-medical disability criteria, to determine whether or not you are entitled to receive social security disability benefits due to your condition.
For starters, you will have to demonstrate evidence that your condition or symptoms limit your ability to work. Only then you will be able to apply for either Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The SSDI program exists for those who have accumulated enough work credits, while the SSI program lets low-income workers who have never worked or have not accumulated enough work credits to receive disability benefits.
Our experienced eligibility for SSI or SSDI benefits attorney in Everett explains that the first “eligibility test” that you will have to pass is determining whether you (a) have enough work credits to qualify for the SSDI program, or (b) are a low-income individual who has never worked before or does not have enough work credits, and, thus, you qualify for the SSI program.
After the “work credit” eligibility test, you will have to pass the second part of the test. And that is determining whether your impairment is on the list of conditions that qualify for social security disability benefits. In other words, if you have a condition or are experiencing symptoms that limit your ability to make enough money to support yourself and afford basic necessities in life (housing, food, and clothes), you may be eligible to receive SSI or SSDI benefits.
In fact, contrary to the popular belief, your exact condition or diagnosis does not necessarily have to appear on the list available on the Social Security Administration’s website. All you need is to have compelling medical evidence proving that your impairment or a combination of impairments or the symptoms you are experiencing limit your ability to work.
In order to be deemed eligible for social security disability benefits, filing a claim based solely on symptoms will not be enough. Our Everett social security disability eligibility lawyer explains that the claims examiner will have to confirm that the symptoms indicated in your claim are consistent with your impairment based on medical evidence and laboratory tests and meet the requirements under one or several of the conditions on the list.
Do keep in mind that you may develop symptoms and pain associated with a combination of impairments and disability on the SSA’s list of conditions that make you eligible for social security disability benefits. To determine whether or not your condition or symptoms meet the description and requirements of impairments available on the list, speak to an experienced social security disability lawyer in Everett or elsewhere in Washington.
Contact Russell & Hill, PLLC, for a free case evaluation. Call our offices at 425-212-9165 to let our lawyers help you build a strong and solid case for you to receive social security disability benefits.
