Missourians who are injured and facing an inability to work will understandably try to be approved for Social Security Disability benefits for injury. With SSD benefits, however, there are certain federal requirements as to the amount of work they did and whether they qualify to be approved. Understanding the system and how Social Security credits are accrued to get SSD benefits is an important first step before even applying. This and any other issue with SSD benefits should be discussed with an experienced disability attorney.
The credits are considered the foundation for the Social Security Administration and the Disability Determination Services to determine if the applicant has enough work to get SSD. In most cases, 40 is the minimum number to get benefits. For those who have stopped working prior to having the required number of credits to qualify, they do not lose their benefits. They will be on the record so credits can be added if they go back to work.
For disability, not only does the person need at least 40 credits, but 20 must have been earned in the previous 10 years. This ends on the date the person becomes disabled. If a person is younger, they might qualify if they do not reach the required number of credits, depending on the circumstances. If the disability came about before age 24, the person might qualify if he or she has six credits in the prior three years. For those 24 to 31, they might qualify if they worked for half the time from age 21 until the time of disability. Those 31 to 42 need 20 credits. The numbers rise incrementally for every year of the person’s age. People age 43 needs 21 credits; age 44 needs 22; age 45 needs 23, and so on.
In some cases, the applicant’s injuries are obvious and there is little problem with getting an approval for SSD. In many others, there are issues that lead to a denied claim. These can range from clerical mistakes to not providing sufficient evidence to prove disability and not having enough work credits based on the person’s age. For any Social Security Disability claim, it is essential to have legal advice by calling a qualified SSD law firm.
