IS IT TIME TO FILE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY?

 

One out of 4 Americans will suffer from total disability prior to reaching their retirement age. Disability may happen suddenly or it may come on gradually. But even young people can and often do become disabled.

When should you consider filing for disability benefits with Social Security? Here are some signs that you are ready to file:

1. You can no longer work a full 8-hour day. You may find yourself calling in sick, leaving work early or checking out before your shift is over. It may due to pain, fatigue, weakness or other reasons. But full workdays for you are becoming fewer and fewer.
2. Your doctor tells you that you have a severe medical condition that is not going to improve within the next year. Social Security has no short term benefits--but if you expect to be unable to do your work for a year or more in the future--it may be time to file.
3. Changing to an easier job won't allow to work full-time due to pain, fatigue, weakness or other medical problems. If you are under age 50, Social Security will want you to consider easier work before you start getting disability benefits.
4. You have either stopped working, or you have reduced your hours to a very part-time basis due to medical or mental impairments.
5. You are diagnosed with a medical condition that can result in death within the next year.

Social Security disability was designed for those who cannot work a full time job, 8 hours a day, 5 days per week--or an equivalent schedule because of a severe medical or mental impairment.

If you feel you meet such criteria, you should file for disability and enter the long process to being approved. Some individuals are approved within 6 months. Most, however, may require up to 12 months to be approved. Most claimants will need to go through the complicated appeals process before they can receive their benefits.

Can you continue working full-time and apply for disability before you stop work? No, unfortunately Social Security does not permit it. You should check with your employer to see if they have a disability plan through your work that may pay a benefit if you stop working. It may be possible to rely on those benefits until the Social Security application process can be completed.

If you need deciding whether it's time to apply for Social Security disability--or if you simply have questions--we invite to contact the Forsythe Firm in Huntsville at (256) 799-0297. The consultation is free. If we represent you, we never charge a fee unless we win your case and get Social Security back pay for you.