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Easton, PA Disability (SSDI) Lawyer

Figuring out one’s eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be challenging, which is why our lawyers are prepared to help those in need of disability benefits get the necessary payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Only certain medical conditions qualify for SSDI benefits in Easton. That said, if your disability is close enough to one listed by the SSA, you might be deemed eligible for benefits. On top of your medical condition, your work history will matter. Individuals with more extensive work histories tend to receive larger monthly benefit checks. When preparing your claim for disability benefits, our lawyers will gather evidence of your medical condition and employment history to prove your eligibility. If your claim was denied, our lawyers can take you through the appeals process so that you ultimately get approved for SSDI in Easton.

Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates can assess your claim for free when you call our Easton, PA disability lawyers today at (215) 515-2954.

Medical Conditions that Qualify for Claimants for SSDI Benefits in Easton, PA

When disability prevents individuals from being able to earn an income, they might be able to get financial support in the form of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in Easton. Whether or not such benefits are available to you will largely depend on your medical condition.

Disability under Social Security is based on several factors. To be considered as a disability that is eligible for benefits, your condition must be expected to result in death or last for at least 12 consecutive months. There are various conditions listed by the SSA that may qualify for disability benefits, including arthritis, cancer, cerebral palsy, chronic heart failure, chronic kidney disease, dermatitis, down syndrome, epilepsy, hearing loss, lupus, mental health disorders, and more. There are many more disabilities and illnesses that qualify for disability benefits, the full list of which can be found on the SSA’s website.

It is also important to note that if you do not suffer from a condition that is listed by the SSA, it may be enough to have a condition that is similar to other conditions on the list. It is also important to understand which SSA disability program that you are eligible to receive benefits under. Most likely, if you have worked in your life but sustained a disability that now prevents you from working, you will be eligible for SSDI benefits in Easton.

How Work History Factors into SSDI Benefit Eligibility in Easton, PA

Generally speaking, only insured workers can get benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance in Easton. An insured worker is a person who has been employed for a significant amount of time and has paid a substantial portion of their earnings into Social Security taxes.

If a business employs a worker, Social Security taxes will likely be automatically withdrawn from their paycheck. If a worker is self-employed, they will have to ensure they manually submit their taxes on a quarterly basis. The amount of time the disabled worker has to pay into the program depends on a number of circumstances, like the amount of money they made in a year.

Paying Social Security taxes allows a worker to accumulate credits to qualify for the SSDI program. Once qualified for the SSDI program, a worker can receive cash payments to help deal with their disability if they can no longer work because of that disability.

Not everyone has a suitable work history to qualify for SSDI benefits in Easton. That said, such individuals might still need financial support from the SSA because of a disability or medical condition. Individuals in such situations might be eligible for SSDI through a parent’s earning record. If you sustained your injury, illness, or disability before the age of 22, this caveat might apply to you. Our disability lawyers can review your parent’s work history and the specifics of your case to determine if you might be eligible for SSDI despite not having a sufficient earning record yourself.

Once the SSA has determined that you meet the qualifications to receive SSDI benefits, they will then examine your claim using a multi-step process. This process will analyze issues like the extent of your disability and whether your disability permits you to continue to be gainfully employed. Applying for SSDI is a complex process which would be easier handled with the assistance of our experienced lawyers.

Preparing Your Medical Information for an SSDI Claim in Easton, PA

When applying for SSDI benefits, claimants must be prepared to provide the Social Security Administration with ample information regarding the medical condition that qualifies them for financial support.

Not all impairments listed by the SSA are caused by accidents. Repetitive motion injuries, illnesses, and other conditions might worsen over time. As soon as you recognize signs of an issue, go to the hospital. It will be important to initiate a medical record pertaining specifically to the injury, illness, or condition that will qualify you for SSDI payments in Easton. This might be even more crucial if you have a pre-existing condition or other medical issue that might harm your claim for benefits.

Our disability lawyers can help compile and organize your medical records so that we can easily provide them to the SSA. Such information will be necessary in your initial application for benefits so that you do not face any roadblocks or questions about your eligibility.

Even after you are approved for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, you might have to periodically provide the SSA with updated information about your medical condition. This is so that the SSA can confirm your continuing eligibility for SSDI payments. Because of this, it will be important to get routine care for your injury, illness, or disability and document it accordingly.

Appealing a Denied SSDI Benefit Claim in Easton, PA

Generally, claimants are denied SSDI benefits when their applications leave out crucial information regarding their medical conditions. Our lawyers can help you move through the appeals process if your disability claim was recently denied in Easton.

The first step in the appeals process will be reviewing the SSA’s reason for your denial. If the reason was that you did not provide enough information about your disability, our lawyers can organize and submit such information to the SSA in a timely manner. We can also address other potential reasons for disability benefit denials.

To appeal a decision, we must request a reconsideration from the SSA. If the claim denial is upheld, we can request a hearing with an administrative law judge. From there, claimants can request a review from the Appeals Council. If your appeal is denied again, you will have one more chance to overturn the decision.

Often, when claimants are able to provide the necessary information about their disability and work history to the SSA, they can get a denial overturned during the initial reconsideration period.

Earning Additional Income While Getting Disability Benefits in Easton, PA

As a recipient of SSDI in Easton, you will only be able to earn a small amount of additional income each month. If you earn over the allotted amounts, your SSDI benefits may be taken away.

The Social Security Administration sets limits for how much disability benefit recipients can earn in outside income. In 2024, the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit for blind recipients is $2,590, while the SGA limit for non-blind recipients is $1,550. This limit is applied to monthly incomes for SSDI recipients.

On top of the SGA limit, you must also pay attention to trial work periods (TWPs). These exist so that benefit recipients can test their ability to return to work without immediately losing their monthly payments. Trial work periods are automatically triggered when SSDI recipients earn more than $1,110 in a month, which is notably less than the SGA limit. If you earn over the TWP limit across nine months in a rolling 60-month period, the SSA could revoke your benefits. In such situations, our lawyers will gather updated information about your additional income and disability to show you are still eligible for benefit payments in Easton.

These income limits make it so that SSDI recipients can only have a part-time job if they would like to work in addition to getting monthly payments. You will also have to report any additional income to the SSA so that it can monitor your continuing eligibility for benefits.

Other Disability Benefits Available in Easton, PA

The Supplemental Security Income program differs from the SSDI program because it is not dependent on a disabled individual paying Social Security taxes. The SSI program provides disabled individuals and the elderly (age 65 or older) with monthly cash payments.

Eligibility for SSI benefits is based upon the income and the assets owned by the applicant. There are some exemptions for certain assets that the SSA will not consider when calculating the income for an applicant. For example, the home where you reside will not be calculated into your income.

To ensure that your application for disability benefits has an improved chance of being approved, our firm can work with you to file your disability claim. Most likely, if you have worked throughout your life and have recently been diagnosed with an injury, illness, or disability that prevents you from working, you will qualify for SSDI benefits rather than SSI benefits.