How do you know if you qualify for social security disability benefits? If you believe that you can no longer work because of a medical condition(s), you may qualify for disability benefits. First, you must have been employed a sufficient amount of time, so that you have paid into social security, before you are able to qualify for benefits. If you do not meet the minimum amount of credits necessary, you cannot receive disability benefits regardless of your degree of disability. However, you may still qualify for other benefits, such as supplemental security income, which will be addressed in a future blog entry.
In addition to this criteria, social security requires that you must be unable to do any substantial work because of your medical condition(s); and that your medical conditions must have lasted or be expected to last, at least 1 year. Although your doctor may have said that you are disabled and you may be receiving disability benefits through a private insurance contract or through your job, that does not mean that social security will decide that you are disabled. Social security disability laws are different from almost other programs. If you have questions about whether you should apply for social security disability benefits, you should contact an attorney specializing in this area of law for a consultation.