Levittown, PA Disability Lawyer (SSDI)

Disabled Pennsylvanians may have multiple options for receiving benefits while they are out of work or suffering from a serious injury. If you were not injured at work, you may not be able to seek benefits through workers’ comp., and if you are unable to work, you may not be eligible for unemployment. Instead, your best option for receiving ongoing disability benefits may be applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) through the Social Security Administration (SSA).

SSDI benefits are important to millions of Americans, and you may be able to qualify for these benefits, too. For help applying for benefits and fighting disability denials, call the Levittown disability lawyers at Young Marr & Associates today at (215) 515-2954 to schedule a free consultation on your case.

Applying for Disability Benefits in Levittown, PA

Disability benefits are paid through the Social Security Administration, which functions on the national level. This means that applicants in Levittown, or anywhere in PA, have the same rules and standards to qualify for benefits as any other applicant across the country. This system is not designed to be a competition, and despite the thousands of applicants each month, your application is important. However, because the SSA needs to go through so many applications, the process can take a long time, and the SSA may deny your application if it is not full and correct on the first submission.
It is important to work with an attorney on your application. One of the most important factors in your application is that it gives the SSA enough information. If the SSA is not able to determine whether you have a disability or the extent of your disability, they may deny your application or require you to jump through hoops to get medical examinations and additional paperwork to help prove your case. Working with an experienced disability attorney can help you get your application accepted the first time.

Qualifying for SSDI Disability in PA

To qualify for benefits, you must be considered “disabled” under the SSA’s definition, and you must have a disability that is severe enough to qualify. SSDI benefits are only available to people with severe health issues and injuries that are expected to last for longer than a year or are expected to last for the rest of the individual’s life. This means that short-term disabilities or illnesses do not usually qualify for SSDI disability benefits. Your disability must also be severe enough to receive the benefits you seek.

The SSA keeps a list of qualifying conditions to determine who can seek disability benefits. These conditions cover a wide range of illnesses and physical and mental disabilities, including things like:

• AIDS
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Cancer
• Chronic heart failure
• Endocrine disorders

Hundreds of other physical and mental illnesses and conditions also qualify for benefits. If your condition is not on the list, you may still be able to qualify under rules for exceptions if your condition is as severe as another condition on the list.

The condition you have must also be “severe” to qualify. One of the gauges for severity is the disorder’s definition, which usually includes elements that discuss how the disorder affects or impedes your life or day-to-day tasks. Another factor is that you must not be able to work with your condition.
The SSA determines whether you can work by seeing if you are able to perform your current job. If you are not, the SSA will want to know if you can perform any other jobs you previously had – or any other work. If you are not able to work to perform “substantial gainful activity” (SGA), the SSA will consider you disabled. The threshold for SGA for 2018 disabilities is $1,180 per month ($1,970 if you are blind). For 2019 disabilities, the threshold is $1,220 per month ($2,040 if you are blind), which makes it easier to apply.

Disability Benefits in Pennsylvania

If the SSA finds that your disability is sufficiently severe and will last for over a year, you should likely qualify for disability benefits. These benefits are paid on a monthly basis as replacement wages.

There are two types of benefits from the SSA. SSDI is the primary disability benefit, and it is paid to workers who have a history of paying their FICA taxes. If you do not have a sufficient history of working in the U.S., you may be able to claim benefits through your parents’ records or your spouse’s record. If you have no work history and cannot apply under someone else’s record, you may be able to claim benefits through the supplemental security income (SSI) program instead.

Talk to a lawyer about whether SSDI is available in your case and how best to qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

Levittown, Pennsylvania Disability Lawyer Offering Free Consultations

If you or a loved one suffers from a serious health condition or disability that makes it impossible to work and support yourself, talk to an attorney about applying for disability benefits through SSDI today. The Levittown disability lawyers at Young Marr & Associates have decades of experience handling disability cases and working to get our clients the benefits they and their families need. For help with your case, contact our law offices today at (215) 515-2954.