Social Security Disability Insurance Qualifications
If a worker is no longer able to perform reasonable job functions due to a disability, he may be eligible to receive compensation through Social Security Disability benefits. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) sets certain requirements to determine who is eligible to receive benefits.
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Definition
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In order to qualify for disability benefits, a worker must first meet the SSA's definition of a disability. According to the SSA, a worker is considered disabled if he cannot do the work he did before, "cannot adjust to other work because of the medical condition," and the disability will last for more than a year or result in death.
Employment Requirements
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To be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, an employee must "have worked and paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify." Employees must have earned a specific amount of work credits based on the length of time they have worked and paid Social Security taxes up to the time they became disabled. For example, a worker that became disabled at age 33 needs to have earned 20 work credits to be eligible for disability benefits.
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Beneficiary Information
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The beneficiaries of Social Security Disability recipients may be eligible to collect compensation as well, usually up to 50 percent of the disabled worker's benefit amount. Spouses or ex-spouses must be of retirement age or caring for a dependent child under age 16. Unmarried dependent children may also be eligible for benefits under certain circumstances.
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References
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