The federal government has a very strict definition of disability. They only provide help for individuals that suffer from a medical condition that leaves you totally disabled. If you cannot perform your previous job and cannot adjust to a different job, then you will qualify for federal long term disability. This support is called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). If your injuries are short-term and will not last longer than a year, you do not qualify. They feel that individuals suffering from short-term injuries should be able to find support from family, insurance, savings, or worker’s compensation.
Qualifying for Disability
Though having a long term disability is one of the qualifications, you have a few more to meet in order to receive federal long term disability. Your previous employment had to have been cover by Social Security. Otherwise, you will not receive disability payments. You must also meet a certain criteria in terms of your wages. For Social Security, you earn one credit for $900 of wages or self-employed income. You can earn up to four credits per year and you must have accumulated a total of 20 credits within the last 10 years. All together, 40 credits must have been earned before you become disabled. This applies to anyone that is 62 or older. If you are younger than 62, there are different requirements for certain ages. Check the Social Security site for more details about these differences.
Applying For and Being Approved for Federal Long Term Disability
When applying for disability benefits, make sure you have all of the proper information to fill out the application. You will need your current address, social security number, all of your medical records from doctors, therapists, and hospitals, and any testing you have had done. In regards to your work history, you will need to provide your most recent W-2 form and a decryption of the type of work you have done in the past. You can apply online at the Social Security website, by telephone, or by visiting or calling your local social security office.
Once approved, your federal long term disability will begin on the sixth full month after you became disabled. For example, if you became disabled on January 11, 2004, your disability support would begin in the month of July 2004. Your first payment would be received in August though. Payments always begin the month after the sixth month of disability. The amount that you will receive is based on your previous annual earnings you made before you became disabled.
If you receive other government support such as worker’s compensation, then your Social Security payments will be reduced. If at some point you recover from your disability and you are able to work full-time again, you will stop receiving your disability checks. If you are working part-time and you earn more than $810 per month, you will no longer qualify for disability benefits. The government considers a monthly income this high to be substantial earnings. By law, you must report any improvements in your disability or your work status.
By Tamara C. Jude