Qualifying for Disability Benefits (SSDI) with Back Pain in New Jersey

Chronic back pain can prevent those who suffer from it from living a normal life. This can mean that they are unable to take part in everyday activities, including working to make a living.

Fortunately, the Social Security Administration offers programs that can provide benefits to people who suffer from back pain as well as other debilitating disabilities. One of these programs is known as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI); receiving its benefits requires having a condition that meets certain criteria.

If you would like to learn more about how you can receive benefits for your debilitating back pain through Social Security Disability Insurance, get in touch with the New Jersey social security disability lawyers at Young Marr & Associates at your earliest convenience. They can help you significantly increase your chances of getting your disability application accepted by the Social Security Administration. Continue reading to learn more.

How to Qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits with Back Pain

Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in New Jersey means meeting certain requirements created by the Social Security Administration. These requirements are intended to ensure that fraudulent and frivolous claims are not filed so that benefits can go to the applicants who need them most.

To receive SSDI benefits in New Jersey, you must have a disability or condition that is considered to be severe. For an applicant’s disability to be considered to be severe, a disability must prevent the applicant from working and earning an income. The disability must either have already been present in the applicant’s life for 12 consecutive months at the time that they apply, be expected to last for 12 more consecutive months, or be expected to result in death.

Applicants must be 18 years or older. Children under the age of 18 can apply for Social Security Income, which they can apply for through a different process.

Meeting the Requirements in the Listing of Impairments

The disability that the applicant has must also meet the requirements outlined in the Listing of Impairments. The Listing of Impairments, which is also referred to as the “Blue Book,” is a document that specifies how severe each specific ailment must be in order to qualify for SSDI benefits. There are different ailment specifications for children and adults.
Back pain itself is not a qualifying condition in the Listing of Impairments. However, you will still be able to receive SSDI benefits if your back pain is attributable to another qualifying condition on the list. For example, while back pain itself is not a condition in the Listing of Impairments, spinal disorders are. So, if you have back pain because of a spinal disorder, then you will be able to receive benefits for it. Qualifying spinal disorders in the Listing of Impairments include spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, vertebral fractures, herniated nucleus pulposus, spinal arachnoiditis, and facet arthritis.

If you have back pain that does not come from any of the spinal disorders included in the Listing of Impairments, you may still be able to qualify for SSDI benefits based on what is known as medical vocational allowance. The goal of medical vocational allowance is not to match the criteria of the Listing of Impairments, but rather to demonstrate that you have severely limited basic functions.

If you apply for SSDI benefits through a medical vocational allowance, you will have to undergo an SSA assessment known as a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). This assessment will gauge what the types of work you are able to perform, if you are able to perform work at all. Your RFC assessment will also take other factors of your life into account, including your age, skill sets, and education, as well as your physician’s notes, your medical records, and relevant lab tests.

Income Requirements for SSDI Benefits

SSDI applicants that have what the Social Security Administration considers to be “substantial gainful activity” (SGA), they will be deemed ineligible for SSDI benefits. Income that exceeds a certain limit is “substantial gainful activity;” in 2019, this limit is $1,220 per month and $2,040 for blind applicants. Small business owners are subject to income limits that are slightly different.

How a Disability Attorney Can Help You

Attorneys that have experience working with the Social Security Administration are well-equipped to help people with disabilities to file applications for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Attorneys who have this type of specialized knowledge can increase clients’ chances of having their applications approved by including information that the Social Security Administration looks for.

Social Security disability attorneys are able to help all clients who are applying for SSDI benefits, whether it is their first time or they are filing an appeal after having an application denied. Young Marr & Associates, social security disability lawyers serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have a high success rate when it comes to filing SSDI benefit claims. At 80%, their success rate exceeds the industry average of 62%.

New Jersey Attorneys Can Help with SSDI Back Pain Claims

If you are a resident of New Jersey and are unable to earn income due to back pain, get in touch with the Marlton social security disability attorneys at Young Marr & Associates to learn more about how you can receive benefits from the Social Security Administration through Social Security Disability Insurance. Contact Young Marr & Associates to schedule a free, confidential, and informative consultation. Call (215) 701-6519 today.