Do I Qualify?

am I disabled?

Under the Social Security Act, disability means the inability to engage in substantial work activity, due to medical impairments. These may be physical or mental impairments or both. There are five questions that the Social Security Administration asks to determine if someone is disabled.

  • Are you working?

If you are working and your earnings average more than a certain amount each month, the Social Security Administration will not consider you to be disabled. The amount changes each year. If you are not working, or your monthly earnings fall below the current amount, the Social Security Administration (“S.S.A.”) then evaluates your medical conditions.

  • Is your medical condition or impairment “severe”?

For the S.S.A. to decide that you are disabled, your medical condition must significantly limit your ability to do basic work activities—such as walking, sitting and remembering etc.—for at least twelve months or be expected to last for at least twelve months. If your medical condition is not severe, the S.S.A. will not consider you disabled. If your condition is determined to be severe, the S.S.A. goes on to step three.

  • Is your medical condition on the List of Impairments?

The S.S.A. has a List of Impairments  that describes medical conditions that are considered so severe that they automatically mean that you are disabled as defined by law. If your condition (or combination of medical conditions) is not on this list, the S.S.A. looks to see if your condition is as severe as a condition that is on the list. If the severity of your medical condition meets or equals that of a listed impairment, the S.S.A. will decide that you are disabled. If it does not, the S.S.A. goes on to step four.

  • Can you do the work you did before?

At this step, the Social Security Administration decides if your medical condition prevents you from being able to do the work you did before. If it does not, the S.S.A. will decide that you are not disabled. If it does, the S.S.A. goes on to step five.

  • Can you do any other type of work?

If you cannot do the work you did in the past, the S.S.A. looks to see if you would be able to do other kinds of work that exists in the national or regional economy. It evaluates your medical condition, your age, education, past work experience, and any skills you may have that could be used to do other work. If you cannot do other work, the S.S.A. will decide that you are disabled. If you can do other work, the S.S.A. will decide that you are not disabled.

what if I have already been denied?

The majority of people who apply for benefits are initially denied. Of the 65% who were initially denied, over half were granted benefits when they appealed. If you do not pursue an appeal, you may not be able to reapply in the future, or you may be able to successfully apply, but have limited future benefits.

what are examples of disabilities?

. Asbestosis . Asthma . Allergies . Back Pain . Blindness . Cancer . Carpal Tunnel . Chronic Fatigue . Diabetes . Depression . Emphysema . Epilepsy . Fibromyalgia . Anxiety . Herniated Disc . Hip Replacement . HIV / AIDS . Heart Disease . High Blood Pressure . Hypertension . Knee Replacement . Psychiatric Impairments . Mental Retardation . Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy . Leukemia . Arthritis . Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Migraine Headaches . Neck Pain . Joint Pain . Seizures . Stroke . Lupus . Hepatitis C . Meniere’s Disease • Ankylosing Spondylitis • Reactive Arthritis • Lyme Disease • Mental Illness • Infectious Arthritis • Osteoarthritis • Rheumatoid Arthritis • Psoriatic Arthritis • ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) • Cerebral Palsy • Parkinson’s Disease • Spinal Cord Injury • Brain Injury • TBI • Osteoporosis • Pelvic Pain • Urinary Incontinence • Myofascial Pain • Sciatica • Amputation • Liver Disease • Muscular Dystrophy • Kidney Disease • Vertigo • Alzheimer’s Disease • Anemia • Aneurysm • Dizzyness• Arrhythmia • Brain Tumors • Cerebral Palsy • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome • Pulmonary Problems • Breathing problems • Cirrhosis • COPD • Hearing Problems (Deafness) • Seizures

Please contact us to discuss your eligibility.

toll free: 877.773.4529

office: 615. 255. 1144