Social Security is a program of the US Federal Government that is beneficial in two ways; one way is the provision of retirement benefits while the other comes into play in the event that the individual suffers a mental or physical disability. Retirement benefits are quite easy to get but in order to be eligible for the benefits available under SSI and SSDI benefits in Halifax the applicant must follow the applicable law and meet the criteria that have been set down by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The claimant must be in a position to support the fact that he or she is considered to have a permanent disability, that they have been suffering from a disabling condition for at least the last twelve months or the disability is considered to be such that it will last for at least another year. These guidelines are very strict so it is incumbent on the person making application for benefits to have saved all supporting documents such as medical records. This is extremely important as any misunderstanding on the part of the administration will result in a denial of your claim for benefits.
When applying for either SSDI or SSI disability in Halifax the administration works to determine the claimant’s condition and whether it is such that it prevents the claimant from doing any meaningful work. If the claim is going to be accepted the disabled person has to show that they cannot perform the work they once did and the impairment makes it impossible for them to seek other employment.
There are two different programs available to applicants; Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income, each of which have different rules of eligibility and address different situations.
Social Security Disability Insurance is funded by employee contributions made under FICA which is the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. To be eligible for SSDI the applicant must show they have enough work credits which basically means the applicant must have worked long enough to be considered eligible for benefits. This expectation can usually be met if the applicant has a consistent employment record with between five and ten years of contributions credited to his or her name prior to the disability.
There are no work requirements for claiming for SSI disability because this element of the program is funded from the general tax allocation and not social security taxes. To qualify for this, the individual must have limited resources, be legally blind or disabled.
If you are disabled and feel that you are eligible for the benefits available under the laws applicable to SSI disability in Halifax and you have been denied you will need legal assistance. You are invited to contact the Cunningham Law Group for support.