Texas Social Security Attorney

Qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits

What You Need to Know from the Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen

If you are unable to work because of injury or illness, you may be uncertain whether you qualify for Social Security disability benefits. This page sets forth the criteria for eligibility for benefits. To learn more about your rights, contact our office or call us to set up a free initial consultation. Phone numbers are available below.

For additional information about Social Security disability benefits, see our other pages:

• an overview of Social Security disability (SSD)

• what benefits are available in an SSD claim

• the SSD application process

• appealing the denial of an SSD claim

Eligibility Requirements for Social Security Disability Benefits

In order to recover disability benefits through the Social Security system, you must first be determined to be completely disabled. Though private disability insurance programs or policies may cover partial disability, Social Security does not. The disability must also be severe enough that it will last continuously for one year or end in death.

The condition must be medically determinable, with specific medical evidence to support the injury or illness. The condition may be mental or physical, but psychiatric disabilities will be more difficult to substantiate, as the Social Security Administration will not accept self-reporting as a basis for a diagnosis. All conditions must be observable by a qualified medical professional.

Before you can recover SSD benefits, you must show that you have had recent employment and sufficient earnings. You must have worked and paid Social Security for at least half of the quarters of the last 10 years. Furthermore, you must have worked and paid Social Security for enough quarters over your lifetime to be entitled to benefits.

Contact Bailey & Galyen

To schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your SSD claim, contact us or call our offices at one of the numbers listed below.