The unthinkable happens. You’ve gotten into an accident or a disease progresses to the point that you qualify for disability benefits in Utah, Washington, or any other state. If the following applies to you, it’s time to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI):
Is Your Condition Severe Enough to Impair Work?
The Social Security Administration bases their decision to grant you medical disability insurance on strict qualifications. The first qualifier is whether your condition prevents you from working, as SSDI is meant for Americans who cannot work. If you can work, but earn less than $1,220 a month, you may still be able to qualify for the program. When you are able to work, but unable to do the work you used to do or accomplish other types of labor, then your chances of qualifying goes up.
What Impairments Are Considered in Social Security Evaluations?
If you have any of the conditions recognized in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments, you can get SSDI as long as you meet the requirements under these conditions. There are 14 categories of disorders that can qualify a person for impairments:
1. Musculoskeletal System
2. Special Senses and Speech
3. Respiratory Disorders
4. Cardiovascular System
5. Digestive System
6. Genitourinary Disorders
7. Hematological Disorders
8. Skin Disorders
9. Endocrine Disorders
10. Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
11. Neurological Disorders
12. Mental Disorders
13. Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
14. Immune System Disorders
The U.S. Government offers different insurance plans and benefits for people with disabilities, including:
Short-Term Disability Insurance
Short-term disability insurance pays out for short periods at a time. Payouts under this policy come out for three months to a year. This policy can be offered to workers who are saddled with temporary illnesses or injuries that are grave enough to prevent them from working as they had prior to their injuries.
Both employers and the government can provide short-term disability insurance. Medical disability insurance provided by employers may or may not be subject to income tax and cover employees one to 14 days after the incident that left them with the injury or illness.
Long-Term Disability Insurance
Long-term disability insurance is different from SSDI, as the processing for SSDI can take nearly half a year. Long-term disability insurance takes a shorter time to process and can help policyholders with their household expenses immediately.
Plans can pay out as much as 65 percent of your regular working salary. Coverage can last from six months, the end of your disability, or until a year before retirement age. SSDI can still be received even if you’re already receiving long-term disability insurance benefits.
VA Disability Compensation
Tax-free and designed for veterans who suffer injuries during their service and their surviving kin, VA disability compensation pays out monthly. Physical conditions such as chronic illness or injuries and PTSD, or other forms of mental health conditions are considered in evaluating veterans.
People with disabilities do not need to live with an extra cross to bear. Multiple government programs aim to help them find or return to work for a few months without taking away their coverage. There are also guides on saving and investing disability benefits to help veterans who are transitioning into civilian life. These steps are important for people with disabilities to live as equally as possible to their abled peers.
