When it comes to which medical conditions qualify a person for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, the answer is not always so clear cut. However, there is a directory, called the Social Security Blue Book, officially called the Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, which contains all of the conditions that the Social Security Administration have deemed extreme enough to stop a person from working and thus, entitled to receive Social Security Disability benefits.
The medical conditions that are listed in the Blue Book include physical and mental conditions and if your condition is among those in the list, you will qualify for benefits. Those benefits include either SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provided that you meet the list of criteria, which is rigorous.
Meeting the criteria in the Blue Book
According to the Blue Book, an automatic qualification means that you have a physical or mental condition that has not allowed you to work for a year or more or will cause your death. Additionally, to qualify for benefits, you must have worked long enough to have paid Social Security taxes.
The Blue Book has a section of disorders for adults and a separate section for children. It is important to understand that assessing the conditions for adults is different from assessing children (under 18 years of age) with the same conditions. The children’s section lists all of the conditions that are in the adults’ section and one extra category, which is specific to children: low birth weight and failure to thrive. For children, the focus is on functioning and surviving rather than how the condition will affect their ability to work.
Acquiring legal support
If you or your child are disabled, filing for disability in the right way may make all of the difference. A knowledgeable Social Security Disability benefits attorney in Indiana can help you to complete the application for benefits correctly so that you have a good chance of receiving the benefits that you need and that you deserve. After all, you paid into Social Security for all of the time that you were working and now you need the financial support to live a comfortable life.