To qualify for Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits, you do not have to have a traumatic injury, but may be able to recover benefits if you have a disabling disease that keeps you from working. These can include congestive heart failure, advanced stage cancer and kidney disease. There are, however, other types of chronic illnesses that will allow you to collect benefits.
Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits
To be eligible to receive Social Security disability payments, you must meet a three-pronged test:
- You must have a physical or mental impairment, as defined by the Social Security Administration
- This impairment must have kept you from working for at least 12 months, or it must be expected to lead to your death
- The impairment must make it impossible for you to engage in any “substantial gainful activity.”
To qualify when you have an illness, therefore, you must apply the test. First, is the illness one that has been identified as a disability by the Social Security Administration. The list of qualified illnesses is in the code of federal regulations and is fairly broad, including cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, COPD and other respiratory conditions, Fibromyalgia, diabetes, and even persistent migraine headaches.
In addition to physical maladies, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits for certain mental illness or impairment, such as:
- Depression or bipolar disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Learning disabilities
- Cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, or low I.Q.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Schizophrenia
Contact Aronberg & Kouser, P. A., Attorneys at Law
Contact us by e-mail or call our office at 856-429-1700 (toll free at 800-49-JUSTICE). Your initial consultation is free.
We take all workers’ compensation claims on a contingency basis. You won’t be charged any attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your losses.
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