How to Get NJ Disability Benefits

If you recently received a life-altering medical diagnosis and can no longer work, it’s important to determine where your income will come from. Our lawyers can aid in that endeavor by helping you get disability benefits in New Jersey.

Getting disability benefits in New Jersey can be a long, complicated process. To simplify things, victims should hire an experienced attorney. Your lawyer can help you document your disability and compile the necessary documents to apply for disability benefits. Once your claim is approved, it may be some time before you start receiving monthly payments. Earning too much additional income can threaten your access to disability benefits in New Jersey, as can other missteps, so it’s important to ask your lawyer how to protect your access to monthly payments.

Our lawyers are here to help New Jersey residents get the disability benefits they deserve. For a free case evaluation with the New Jersey disability lawyers at Young, Marr, Mallis & Deane, call today at (609) 557-3081.

How to Get Disability Benefits in NJ

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits provide crucial income for New Jersey residents with qualifying disabilities and medical conditions. Regular SSDI checks can help you support your family after a life-altering accident or diagnosis. Because of this, it’s important for New Jersey applicants to learn exactly how they can get SSDI benefits.

Hire an Attorney

If you wish to get SSDI benefits in New Jersey, you should hire an attorney. The application process can be long and extensive. Your Mount Laurel, NJ disability lawyer can help you take the necessary steps during the application process so that the Social Security Administration (SSA) approves your claim. Once your application is approved, your attorney can keep an eye on any additional income you earn and help you pass continuing disability reviews from the SSA so that you don’t lose access to benefits.

Document Your Disability

In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, New Jersey residents must have a qualifying condition. The SSA’s website lists all qualifying disabilities and illnesses for adults and children that applicants can refer to. Physical disabilities are included among the various qualifying conditions, as are certain diseases and mental illnesses. To get SSDI benefits in New Jersey, you must thoroughly document your disability. That means seeking care from medical professionals and getting the necessary diagnoses and treatment plans.

Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are reserved for individuals with long-term or permanent disabilities. Suppose your condition does not meet the SSA’s criteria, or you cannot provide the necessary medical documentation to prove that your disability exists. In each case, your application for benefits may be denied. To prevent that from happening, hire an experienced New Jersey disability lawyer.

Gather Employment Records

If you wish to get SSDI benefits in New Jersey, your work history matters. With each paycheck you receive, your employer must remove taxes for Social Security. In doing this, an employer ensures that you are paying into the system and can receive Social Security benefits in the future. This is an employer’s responsibility, not an employee’s. The more years you’ve worked, and the more taxes that are taken out of your paychecks, the greater your SSDI payments may be.

Although the Social Security Administration may have your work history on record, it is still important to provide your own documentation. Your Mt. Holly disability lawyer can help you prepare the necessary documents that outline your work history and eligibility for SSDI benefits.

Apply for Benefits

In order to officially apply for SSDI benefits, New Jersey residents can submit an application using the SSA’s website or by visiting a local SSA office. Applicants must complete the SSA’s disability benefits application and a medical release form to officially apply for payments. The application is extensive and requires details regarding your medical condition and work history. You must also provide personal and financial information, like your Social Security number, bank account information, and previous tax returns. Understandably, applicants may become overwhelmed completing this form themselves. Allow your New Jersey lawyer to be by your side during this process so that you correctly complete the disability benefit application and are one step closer to getting the SSDI benefits you deserve.

Prepare for an Interview

Often, after New Jersey residents apply for SSDI benefits, an SSA representative will reach out to schedule an interview. During this interview, the SSA representative will likely ask personal questions about your income, work history, disability, and family. Essentially, the SSA wants to know everything about your financial and medical status. Some questions might be abrasive, and applicants may feel uncomfortable. Your attorney should be present for this interview, to ensure you answer an SSA representative’s questions correctly and completely. Any missteps might impede your access to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Appeal a Decision

Unfortunately, New Jersey residents that apply for SSDI benefits without an attorney by their side may see their claims denied. The application process is complex, and applicants may have difficulty meeting the requirements. If your initial request for SSDI benefits is denied, you can likely file an appeal. If you do, enlist help from a Trenton, NJ disability lawyer. Your attorney can help you file an appeal within 60 days of an initial claim denial.

How Soon Will I Get My NJ Disability Benefits?

After your SSDI application is approved, it may be several months before you start receiving checks. That is because the Social Security Administration wants to make sure that your condition warrants payments before it starts sending you money.

New Jersey applicants generally have to wait six months after an SSDI claim is approved before they receive benefits. Before that, applicants can expect to wait three to five months to hear back about the SSA’s decision regarding their claim. If an initial claim is denied and New Jersey applicants have to file an appeal, the wait time may be closer to two years.

Generally, SSDI applicants need benefits right away, not months down the road. If you’re applying for SSDI benefits, it’s important to hire a New Jersey disability lawyer. Your attorney can help you meet the application criteria so that unnecessary delays don’t prevent you from getting access to the SSDI benefits you need.

How Much Will My NJ Disability Payments Be?

Those that apply for SSDI benefits are likely curious about how much money they will receive. The size of your payments will depend only on your work history. So, depending on how much you’ve worked during your life, you might receive the maximum New Jersey disability payment.

In 2022, the maximum SSDI payment is $3,345. However, that amount is not guaranteed. Once you are approved for disability benefits in New Jersey, the size of your payments will depend on your work history. If you sustained a disability under 22 and applied for SSDI benefits through a parent, their work history will indicate your payment amounts.

Generally, only those near retirement age or have a parent who has worked for decades can qualify for the maximum SSDI payment. If you’re unsure what your SSDI benefits will look like, ask your East Brunswick disability lawyer for clarification. Your attorney can evaluate your work history to estimate your potential payments from the Social Security Administration.

How Often Will I Get Disability Payments in NJ?

Having a dependable income is important for New Jersey families. Because of that, it’s crucial for SSDI applicants to learn how often they can expect to receive payments. If you’re approved for SSDI benefits, you will receive them on a monthly basis.

SSDI benefit recipients will get payments, either via check or direct deposit, once a month. The exact day you receive your monthly benefit will depend on your birthday. The following is the current payment schedule for SSDI recipients in 2022:

• If you are born between the 1st and the 10th, you get payments on the second Wednesday of each month
• If you are born between the 11th and the 20th, you get payments on the third Wednesday of each month
• If you are born between the 21st and the 31st, you get payments on the fourth Wednesday of each month

If you qualify for SSDI benefits through a parent’s work history, you will receive payments based on their birthday.

Going from getting paychecks every two weeks to once a month can be jarring for SSDI recipients. Enlist an experienced Hamilton Township, NJ disability lawyer to help you make the transition easier and keep a handle on your finances.

How Often Will I Get Reevaluated for NJ Disability Benefits?

The Social Security Administration requires regular continuing disability reviews for SSDI recipients. How often your disability will be reevaluated will depend on your diagnoses and your chances of recovering.

From time to time, the SSA may subject your case to a continuing disability review. The purpose is to review your case and ensure you still have a qualifying condition and, thus, are still eligible to receive SSDI benefits. The frequency with which the SSA conducts continuing disability reviews depends on each recipient’s medical condition. For example, if medical improvement is expected, the SSA will generally conduct a review within six to 18 months of claim approval. If medical improvement is possible, the SSA will generally conduct a review every three years. If medical improvement is not expected, the SSA will generally conduct a review every seven years.

Preparing for a review is essential. The Social Security Administration may require updated information about your medical condition and treatment. If you fail to provide the necessary information, your access to benefits may be at risk. For a seamless disability review, New Jersey SSDI recipients should have a lawyer by their side.

Can My Disability Benefits Get Revoked in NJ?

Getting approved for disability benefits does not mean they can’t be revoked in the future. When New Jersey residents earn too much in additional income or unknowingly enter a trial work period (TWP), they can lose access to SSDI payments. And, of course, if your disability improves, you may no longer qualify for disability benefits in New Jersey.

Substantial Gainful Activity

In order to remain eligible for SSDI payments in New Jersey and elsewhere, recipients can’t engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2022, the SGA limit is $1,350 a month for non-blind individuals. For blind individuals, the SGA limit is $2,260 a month. Earning over that amount can make you ineligible for SSDI benefits. An attorney can keep you updated on any changes to the SGA threshold so that you don’t lose your access to SSDI payments.

Trial Work Periods

Trial work periods can threaten your access to disability benefits in New Jersey. If you earn over $970 in a month, that automatically triggers a TWP. If this happens over nine months, you might lose your access to benefits. Trial work periods exist to help SSDI recipients explore the possibilities of returning to work while still receiving benefits. Unfortunately, these periods can be triggered without a recipient’s knowledge, ultimately threatening their access to payments. If you accidentally trigger and complete a TWP without knowing it, a New Jersey disability lawyer can help. Your attorney can help you reestablish the need for payments during the 36-month re-entitlement period that follows a TWP.

Improved Condition

If your medical condition improves or your disability is removed, you may lose your access to SSDI benefits. The Social Security Administration should be informed of any improvements or changes to your medical condition that could impact your eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance payments.

Call Our Lawyers to Apply for NJ Disability Benefits Today

If you need to get disability benefits in New Jersey, our attorneys can help. For a free case evaluation with the New Jersey disability lawyers at Young, Marr, Mallis & Deane, call today at (609) 557-3081.