Disability Criteria - Medical versus Non-medical Social Security Requirements
Social Security disability has both non-medical criteria and medical disability criteria which are used to determine if an individual qualifies for Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income disability (SSI).
Both Social Security disability programs require that you be a citizen or legal resident of the United States to be awarded disability benefits. Social Security and SSI applicants go through the same medical disability determination process. Generally, SSI and Social Security disability medical determinations are made simultaneously.
So, just what are the medical criteria for being awarded disability benefits? Social Security regulations state that you must have a medically determinable impairment that is severe enough to prevent the performance of substantial gainful activity.
Social Security disability examiners establish the existence of a medically determinable impairment through objective medical evidence (lab results, MRI, CAT scans, X-rays, etc.) garnered from the medical sources you provided during your disability interview or through a consultative examination if necessary. Statements from your physician, which are not backed by objective evidence, will be given very little weight in the Social Security decision-making process.
Non-medical requirements other than the above mentioned criteria differ between the two disability programs. Supplemental Security Income disability (SSI) is based upon need rather than your work history, unlike Social Security disability. Social Security disability is based upon “insured status”, which is achieved through work activity.
Each year an individual has the potential to earn four quarters of coverage through their earnings. For example, the 2008 quarter of coverage amount is 1000.00. This means if you earn 4000.00 in 2008, you will have four quarters of coverage. The amount of quarters needed to achieve insured status depends on the age you became disabled.
SSI, on the other hand, is based upon the amount of income and resources an individual has available to them. For example, if an individual has more than 2000.00 in resources (i.e. cars, stocks, land, boats, 401K, etc), they will be denied SSI disability benefits. If you are married your resource amount is 3000.00.
Traditionally, income and resource limits are set low because this is a social welfare program designed to allow individuals who haven’t worked enough to be insured for Social Security disability (or have never worked, or even those who worked long ago, but have not worked in recent years) to receive a disability benefit.
Of course, SSI applicants must medical criteria as well as income and resource limits prior to being awarded SSI disability benefits.
This is just an overview of the non-medical and medical criteria for Security disability and Supplemental Security Income disability and in individual cases there may be other non-medical criteria that may affect an individual’s disability claim.
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Social Security Disability Secrets
Social Security Disability Benefit Questions
Both Social Security disability programs require that you be a citizen or legal resident of the United States to be awarded disability benefits. Social Security and SSI applicants go through the same medical disability determination process. Generally, SSI and Social Security disability medical determinations are made simultaneously.
So, just what are the medical criteria for being awarded disability benefits? Social Security regulations state that you must have a medically determinable impairment that is severe enough to prevent the performance of substantial gainful activity.
Social Security disability examiners establish the existence of a medically determinable impairment through objective medical evidence (lab results, MRI, CAT scans, X-rays, etc.) garnered from the medical sources you provided during your disability interview or through a consultative examination if necessary. Statements from your physician, which are not backed by objective evidence, will be given very little weight in the Social Security decision-making process.
Non-medical requirements other than the above mentioned criteria differ between the two disability programs. Supplemental Security Income disability (SSI) is based upon need rather than your work history, unlike Social Security disability. Social Security disability is based upon “insured status”, which is achieved through work activity.
Each year an individual has the potential to earn four quarters of coverage through their earnings. For example, the 2008 quarter of coverage amount is 1000.00. This means if you earn 4000.00 in 2008, you will have four quarters of coverage. The amount of quarters needed to achieve insured status depends on the age you became disabled.
SSI, on the other hand, is based upon the amount of income and resources an individual has available to them. For example, if an individual has more than 2000.00 in resources (i.e. cars, stocks, land, boats, 401K, etc), they will be denied SSI disability benefits. If you are married your resource amount is 3000.00.
Traditionally, income and resource limits are set low because this is a social welfare program designed to allow individuals who haven’t worked enough to be insured for Social Security disability (or have never worked, or even those who worked long ago, but have not worked in recent years) to receive a disability benefit.
Of course, SSI applicants must medical criteria as well as income and resource limits prior to being awarded SSI disability benefits.
This is just an overview of the non-medical and medical criteria for Security disability and Supplemental Security Income disability and in individual cases there may be other non-medical criteria that may affect an individual’s disability claim.
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