Suffering from a medical condition that impairs your ability to work can be difficult to deal with, especially when your inability to work results in financial struggles as well. Fortunately, help may be available through the Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, program. The SSDI program provides monthly monetary benefits for those who qualify. All medical conditions, however, are not alike when it comes to applying for SSDI. Some conditions qualify you automatically, and others may take months to years to be approved as a limiting disability. An experienced SSDI attorney is your greatest asset in both situations.

 

Generally, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a listing of disabilities that automatically qualify you for benefits. This allows you to bypass the hassle of appeals and delayed benefits. This list can be found in the Blue Book on the SSA website. If your condition is not on the list, the Determining Disability Services agent at your local office may use the “grid”, a table of conditions cross-referenced by age and work ability, to qualify you. If you feel your situation applies to any of the following, you may have grounds for automatic qualification.

 

• You have a terminal illnesses like end stage cancer, or AIDS, or another illness that will result in death.

 

• You qualify for a “compassionate allowance”, which is a list of about 220 conditions that are serious enough to warrant a quick approval with little medical evidence.

 

• You have a Presumptive Disability (PD); which is a list of 15 obvious and life long conditions that automatically qualify; including ALS, Down’s Syndrome, HIV, blindness and deafness.

 

• You are a threat to yourself (suicidal) or to the public (homicidal).  Many mental illnesses fall into this category, and so should be inquired about carefully.

 

Additionally, certain circumstances, not necessarily medical conditions, can also be automatic qualifiers, including, but not limited to

 

• You served in the military on or after October 1, 2001, although the disability does not need to be related to military service.

 

• You are in dire need of assistance as a result of your condition. For example, you are at risk of losing, or have lost, food, shelter, or medical treatment because of your condition and you can show evidence of your needs. Some examples of evidence may include unpaid bills (regular or medical), bank statements, eviction notices, foreclosure notice, utility shut offs, expiration of medical coverage, and other hardships.

While there is no guarantee that you will be eligible for an automatic qualification, these examples can act as a guide if you plan to apply for SSDI. Because the SSDI application process can be confusing, and the denial rate is high (70 percent of initial applications are denied) it is in your best interest to consult with the experienced Michigan Social Security benefits attorneys at Slusky and Walt, the American Benefit Experts before applying. The team may be reached by calling 1-800-ABE-HELPS (1-800-223-4357) today to schedule your free consultation.

People are often under the impression that Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, or SSDI, are only available if you absolutely cannot work at all. In fact, you may be able to work some and still qualify for SSDI benefits. Maybe you are thinking of applying for Social Security disability benefits, or have already filed, but you work part-time? Or maybe your condition is getting better, and you would like to try going back to work? You may be wondering if this will affect your ability to collect your benefits. The answer is yes and no, depending on what program you may qualify for. An experienced Michigan SSDI attorney can be of great help in evaluating your legal options.

 

When initially applying for SSDI, there are many factors that may determine your ability to work such as medical documentation, age, and health status. Yet, it is possible to still receive benefits even if you can perform certain types of work – sedentary, part-time, or other types of limited working environments. Still, you may have to have a medical-vocational assessment, which includes the residual functional capacity (RFC) assessment to see what level of work you might be capable of handling as well as things such as education level, skill level, previous work experience, and transferability of skills. Only being able to work part-time as opposed to full-time does not necessarily qualify you as disabled. On the contrary, if any of these assessments show that you are capable of working full-time, you may not be qualified for SSDI benefits.

 

Generally, the reason you have filed for disability is because you are unable to perform work and provide financially for yourself. This is why you need these benefits. There may, however, be times down the road when you have acquired new skills and are able to perform a new type of work, or you have found part-time work that you are able to do. Your SSDI benefits will not necessarily stop in this situation. There are a few programs in place that allow one to work and still receive SSDI benefits. Each has specific criteria that must be met and followed in order to be a part of the program, or you may lose your benefits permanently. Mainly, you must advise the SSA when you start or stop work; if your duties, hours, or pay scale changes; and if you have any disability related expenses. The following programs are available under the Social Security Disability Insurance program:

 

• The Ticket to Work Program
• The Trial Work Period
• Expedited Reinstatement

 

If you are currently receiving SSDI benefits and become able to work part-time, one of these programs may allow you to continue to receive your SSDI benefits while you transition back to work and/or allow you to earn a small income while continuing to receive your SSDI benefits.

If you need additional information, or have specific questions or concerns, contact the experienced Michigan Social Security benefits attorneys at Slusky and Walt, the American Benefit Experts, by calling 1-800-ABE-HELPS (1-800-223-4357) today to schedule your free consultation.

The Social Security Disability Insurance program is a federally funded and administered program that provide monthly monetary benefits to individuals who are unable to work because of a disability.

Topics covered in this report include:

1. What Is SSDI?
2. Doesn’t the Definition of “Disabled” Preclude Working?
3. The Ticket to Work Program
4. The Trial Work Period
5. What Happens If I Find I Am Unable to Work Again?

Click here to read the whole article or download the PDF.

 

As a diabetes sufferer, your symptoms and complications may eventually prevent you from working. If that occurs, you may be entitled to benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, program.

 

Diabetes mellitus 1 and 2 are conditions that affect the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin. Type 1 is diagnosed in childhood and because the body does not produce insulin, or produces insufficient insulin, requires insulin injections. Type 2, or adult onset, is based on the body’s immune response to insulin. In this form, the body is resistant to the insulin being produced, and therefore is lacking the means to metabolize sugars ingested. It is usually the result of poor diet, lack of exercise, and occasionally is hereditary. Both can be life long debilitating diseases depending on treatment response and compliance. Diabetes can mean a simple lifestyle change or a complicated disease that slowly takes away the freedom to enjoy life. If you find that your diabetes is preventing you from working and causing a decline in your health, SSDI may be available to those who qualify.

 

Depending on what type you have, you may be wondering if you qualify for SSDI benefits in the event that full-time work has become a problem for you. The qualification process is complicated and many requirements must be met; however, many are able to qualify based on their existing history and complications arising from the disease. Take note that diabetes itself has been removed from the qualifying list, or Blue Book, for SSDI as of 2011 because type 2 can be a preventable disease and treatments are usually effective in managing both types of the disease. Therefore, you must be able to prove that issues arising from the disease are causing disability. Some of these issues include, but are not limited to:

 

• neuropathy (nerve damage) which results in motor skill disturbance
• retinopathy that affects visual ability
• acidosis
• cardiovascular disease
• kidney problems
• digestive problems
• high blood pressure
• skin infections
• amputations

 

If you are affected by any of these complications you will likely need to secure documentation from specialists and/or from your primary care physician that states that the complications are from diabetes and that your diabetes is impairing your ability to perform work. There is also the residual functional capacity (RFC) form from SSDI that is used to determine what level of work, if any, you are able to perform despite your complications. It is possible to still receive benefits even if you can perform certain types of work – sedentary, part-time, or other types of limited working environments. Because of the complex nature of the application process it is always best to have an experienced Social Security Disability Insurance attorney assist you throughout the process to ensure compliance with the SSDI guidelines.

 

Because this disease tends to have limitations and requires considerable evidence to prove disability, many claims are initially denied. The help of a qualified SSDI attorney is beneficial in helping to prevent delays in qualifying and receiving benefits. Many attorneys are able to take their costs directly out of the first SSDI check upon approval. This can be helpful to those struggling financially while they work on their claim. If your diabetes is preventing you from holding down a job, contact an experienced Michigan SSDI attorney soon to begin the application process and prevent any further financial decline.

To learn more, please download our free Social Security Disability Insurance in Michigan Work Programs here.