Some occupations face more risk of physical harm than others. They could confidently perform their duties knowing they have Social Security Disability benefits. However, an injury must meet specific conditions to qualify for payments.
Social Security has a set of rules or conditions to determine what benefits could apply. It could depend on the individual’s ability to work, continue doing their job and recovery time. These strict requirements could lead to obstacles when applying for disability benefits.
Social Security acknowledges how confusing these regulations could be, so they came up with five guide questions to help determine if a patient has a qualified health condition:
- Can you work, or are you working? A capacity to perform a substantial gainful activity (SGA) might make the patient unqualified for benefits.
- Is your condition causing severe hindrance to work performance? It might be a qualified condition if it impedes or limits basic work activities.
- Is it on Social Security’s Disability list? The agency maintains a list of conditions considered impairing enough to be eligible. If a disability is not on this list, it might require further review to determine its severity.
- Is your health condition preventing you from doing your job? Patients could develop injury-related impairments that keep them from fulfilling their previous work tasks. If not, it might not be a qualifying disability.
- Can you take on a different role despite your impairment? If the patient cannot return to work because of a disability, they could seek other fitting positions. Social Security could help the patient find a job based on their skills and experience.
These questions might only help patients decide to begin the claims process. Their qualification could still depend on Social Security’s assessment.
Learning about qualifications
It is impossible to guarantee approval when applying for Social Security Disability benefits. However, knowing the limits and regulations to qualify could help applicants navigate the process regardless of the outcome.