When you are ready to apply for Social Security Disability Benefits, it’s necessary to consider all possible holes in your application before you submit it. One of the biggest worries applicants have is whether they qualify for Social Security Disability benefits without work credits.
Getting the SSDI Benefits You Deserve
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a type of insurance administered by the government to working individuals who have had taxes taken out of their paychecks. This act entitles the recipients to all Social Security Disability benefits if found disabled. What happens, though, if you don’t have work credits like this? Can you still qualify for other benefit programs from Social Security?
The short answer is yes. The Social Security Income (SSI) program can provide monthly payments to adults or children with a disability whose income and resources are below a certain financial threshold. These payments are also made to individuals over age 65 who may not have disabilities but do meet the financial qualifications.
What Qualifies as Income?
The definition of income and work credits, for SSI purposes, is anything that can be applied directly or indirectly to meet a person’s basic needs for food and shelter. Types of income can include:
- Earned income: Wages, self-employment, royalties, honoraria.
- Unearned income: Pensions, Social Security benefits, disability payments, unemployment benefits, interest, cash gifts from relatives or friends.
- In-kind income: Food or shelter gotten for free or less than fair market value.
- Deemed income: The portion of a spouse, parent, or sponsor’s income with whom you live.
Why Income Matters for the Social Security Disability Benefits Program
To maintain a fair system, every candidate for SSDI must be looked at in a general way while their unique conditions are also taken into consideration. Ultimately, however, the more income a person has, the less their Social Security Disability benefits are likely to be. There is a limit to the countable income allowed that can prevent a person from qualifying, though it’s important to note that some income may not need to be counted as income for Social Security purposes.
How Social Security Disability Benefits Evaluate Resources
Resources are things you own like cash, bank accounts, stocks, mutual funds, land, life insurance, personal property, and vehicles. Resources are important in the Social Security Disability benefits program because their value is one of the several factors that determines whether a person is eligible for benefits. The limit for countable resources for an individual is $2,000 and for a couple it is $3,000.
Resources that fit the definition of the word but do not count toward benefits consideration include things like the home and land you live on, household goods and personal effects (like wedding rings), a vehicle used for transportation, or burial spaces or funds.
Hire a Social Security Disability Benefits Lawyer
Sound confusing? It is. And it’s easy to report any of these particulars the wrong way, especially work credits. Working with an experienced SSDI attorney ensures that any gaps in your application are noticed before forms are submitted, waiting commences, and rejection is delivered.
Improve your chances of getting SSDI benefits from the start. Hire a Social Security Disability attorney at Thurswell Law. Schedule a consultation by calling (248) 354-2222 today. We do not charge any fees until we win.