Fighting to Get Your Medical Condition Approved as a Work Disability in Berks County

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a U.S. government program that pays workers who become disabled if they meet the eligibility standards. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), more than 10 million people were awarded SSDI benefits in 2016. The average age of an SSDI recipient was 54. Almost half of the recipients were women. About one third of the recipients had a musculoskeletal system disorder. The average monthly payment was $1,171.15.

At Larry Pitt & Associates, our Reading Social Security Disability attorneys first review whether you have worked enough years to qualify – five years out of the previous ten. We then review your medical history to determine if your medical condition is on the pre-approved disability list the SSA keeps. Finally, we examine your background to see if you might qualify based on the combination of your medical ailments and your inability to do your current job or other jobs.

Eligibility for SSDI Benefits

In order to obtain SSDI benefits, you must be able to prove that:

• You can’t work because of your medical condition.
• Your medical condition prevents you from doing any job.
• Your disability is expected to last for 12 months or more.

You do not need to show that your medical condition was caused by work. For example, if you become paralyzed because of a fall in your home, you are eligible for SSDI, provided you meet the three-prong test above.

Some of your family members may also be entitled to Disability income if you are ruled eligible. Minor children, some adult children with disabilities, and spouses who have reached retirement age are also eligible to some SSDI benefits.

The amount of your benefits depends on how many years you worked and how much you earned. After two years, Disability beneficiaries are eligible to receive a Medicare card.

How Social Security Disability Applicants Can Meet the Pre-Approved List of Impairments

The SSA has already approved 14 categories of impairments. Each category includes many subcategories. Some of the medical conditions that are pre-approved (provided you can verify you have that medical condition) are:

• Autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Cancer
• Digestive disorders, such as hepatitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome
• Heart disease
• Mental and cognitive disorders, such as bipolar depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
• Musculoskeletal impairments, including degenerative disc disease, fibromyalgia, and scoliosis
• Neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury or seizure disorders
• Vision and hearing loss

Our Reading Disability attorneys need to do much more than just assert you have a condition that is on the list of impairments. Your doctor must verify you have the condition by showing what tests he or she gave you and that your results are considered disabling. Some of the conditions require that your disorder be severe.

How to Prove a Disability if Not on the Impairment List

If you can’t meet one of the conditions on the list, we can also argue that you have a comparable condition. We also work to show that your condition meets the SSDI definition of disability based on factors in addition to your medical ailments. SSDI has a checklist they use that examines:

• Your age. Eligibility varies depending on if you are under 50 years of age, 50-55, 55-60, or 60-retirement age
• Your residual functional capacity. Eligibility varies depending on the determination as to whether you can do:
  • Sedentary work
  • Light work
  • Medium work
  • Heavy work
  • Very heavy work
• Your education. The education categories are essentially illiterate, below grade 11, high school or GED, and showing you were trained for certain job skills
• Your skill level. The job skill categories are unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled

The SSA determines which of the above categories you meet and whether any job skills can be transferred. Generally, the checklist favors older, unskilled, and less educated workers. Still, you should review whether you qualify with an experienced Reading Social Security Disability lawyer. We work with your employers and doctors to help show you meet the checklist criteria.

Get Help From a Skilled Reading Social Security Disability Lawyer From Larry Pitt & Associates

At Larry Pitt & Associates, our lawyers understand how complex and hard the SSDI standards for disability approval are. We work with your doctors and employers, vocational experts, and independent doctors to help show that you qualify for benefits. Don’t handle your claim on your own. Make an appointment with a Social Security Disability lawyer today by calling 888-PITT-LAW or completing our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation at our office in Reading, Pennsylvania.