Guidelines for Applying for Social Security Benefits
Q: If a person is currently unable to work due to injury, can he receive social security benefits?
A: To receive social security benefits due to an injury, you must meet some requirements. You must have been working and insured at the time of your injury. To qualify, you need to have been in the workforce for at least five of the past ten years. That employment must have been with a position that had you contributing to Social Security. To be eligible for disability and receive social security benefits, you cannot be older than the Social Security Retirement age. Last, but not least, your injury needs to be such that you will not be able to join the workforce again for a minimum of 12 months. The Social Security Administration does not extend benefits to individuals with partial or short term disabilities.
Q: When will social security benefits stop?
A: Social security benefits will continue until a person no longer suffers from the medical condition that made him unable to work. In that case, the benefits would continue until the second month after the medical condition had ended. If an individual surpasses the age of retirement, social security benefits under the disability program would end and retirement benefits would begin. Social Security will conduct reviews of your file periodically to determine if your medical condition has changed. You do not, however, need to reapply for disability benefits, if the status of your injury and employment has not changed.
If a person has been notified of approval, when will he receive his first payment for social security benefits?
A: A person must be out of the workforce due to the medical condition for a minimum of five months before social security benefits can begin. Ideally, in that sixth month, a qualified individual would start receiving benefits. If you are still awaiting initial approval, it is difficult to predict when you will receive notice of a decision. The thing that usually affects how long it takes to process an application is the wait for medical records. The disability examiner cannot make a decision about your case until he has reviewed your medical records. Most applications are reviewed and the claimant notified of a decision within four months.