What Conditions Are Considered Disabilities?

If you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working, you may be eligible for benefits. These include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Each is based primarily on disability, which may prompt you to wonder what conditions are considered disabilities.

For more information about eligibility and to explore your options, reach out to the experienced lawyers at BurnettDriskill, Attorneys.

Qualifying for SSDI Benefits

To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must have the requisite work credits, which are typically 40 work credits, with at least 20 earned in the last 10 years. You also must establish that you have a qualifying disability, defined as a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working or that seriously limits your ability to work.

There are several components that are required to meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability for SSDI purposes.

Medically Determinable Impairment

The impairment or disability you are experiencing must be medically determinable. This means that your disability has been diagnosed by a medical professional who is qualified to do so and that your diagnosis is supported by medical evidence. Medical experts with relevant expertise often testify at SSDI hearings.

Substantial Gainful Activity

Your disability must leave you unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). SGA refers to work that requires significant mental effort, physical effort, or both, and is performed for pay or profit. If you can no longer work at this level, the SGA element of your claim is met.

Expected Duration

Your disability must be long-term. There are two circumstances that satisfy this requirement. If your impairment is considered terminal, meaning that it is expected to end in death, it qualifies in terms of duration. The other circumstance that qualifies is if your disability has lasted at least a year or is expected to last at least a year.

Put more simply, to qualify for SSDI benefits, you must suffer from a serious medical condition that is either physical or mental. If this condition is not expected to end in death, it must stop you from working at a substantially gainful level for a significant length of time.

Qualifying for SSI Benefits

SSI benefits are based on financial need, but a disability must also exist in most cases. Both children and adults can qualify for SSI benefits, and work credits are not part of the requirements, unlike those for SSDI. Whether or not your impairment qualifies as a disability for SSI differs for children and adults.

Financial Need

To qualify for SSI, you must meet the financial need standard. If this is met, you must also have a qualifying disability in most cases.

Qualifying Disabilities for Children

For the purposes of SSI, a child is defined as someone who has not reached the age of 18 or who is under the age of 22 and regularly attending school. To qualify as having a disability, the child must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that causes marked and severe functional limitations.

The impairment in question must either be expected to be terminal or to last for at least a continuous year. Blindness, as defined for adults, is a qualifying condition.

Qualifying Disabilities for Adults

The same qualifications for disability that are used for SSDI benefits apply to SSI benefits. This amounts to having a severe mental or physical impairment that prevents gainful employment for an extended period. It should be restated that, unlike SSI benefits, work credits are required for SSDI benefits.

Contact Our Firm To Learn About Qualifying Conditions for SSD Programs

To obtain Social Security disability benefits, you will need to know what conditions are considered disabilities and establish that you have a qualifying impairment. The experienced lawyers at BurnettDriskill, Attorneys, can help you establish your disability while efficiently guiding your claim forward.

While you may be applying for SSDI or SSI benefits, other programs may apply to your situation as well. For example, if you lost your job due to a health condition, you may be eligible for short-term or long-term disability benefits. You do not have to choose between programs, many applicants can pursue multiple benefits at the same time. Our team can help review your options and ensure you explore all potential sources of support.

Learn more about how we can assist you by contacting us online or calling us today.