Understanding the Process Followed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to Decide If You're Disabled

Government Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs have a checklist of determining factors used to decide if you are suffering a covered disability. The answers to their questions strongly determine whether or not you will qualify for disability benefits. While the answers are situation specific, here are the primary questions related to their disability income insurance coverage.

• Are you working? If you are earning more than around $940 per month, while you are “disabled,” you may not be eligible for benefits.
• Is your condition “severe”? Does it interfere or prevent you from completing your work-related activities?
• Is your disability on the list of "allowable" medical conditions? You can view their definitions through the Social Security (SSA) website to help you understand how your condition may or may not qualify for disability benefits.
• Can you do the work you did previously? This appears to be a combination of any-occupation and own-occupation coverage definitions used in private insurance.
• Can you do any other type of work? Considering your condition, age, education, and past work experience, SSA tries to determine if you have skills that are transferable to a different occupation.
• Are there any special situations with your condition? SSA considers special situations that involve blindness, widows or widowers who are disabled, wounded warriors, and disabled children, which may affect their determination of a qualified disability.

Your eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is determined by evaluating these and surrounding conditions of your specific situation. Learning the SSA regulations and conditions will help you understand their process should you need their help at some time in the future. Refer to your insurance policy contract for specific information regarding your coverage and for actual terms, conditions and exclusions. The above statements are general in nature and may or may not reflect the actual terms of your insurance policy.