Morrilton, AR Social Security Disability (SSDI) Lawyer

When you are out of work in Morrilton and need support, Social Security Disability Insurance can help. However, qualifying for and maintaining your payments can be challenging without our attorneys’ knowledgeable advice.

We can review your disability and collect your medical records to file your claim. You must meet several criteria to qualify for SSDI, including having a recognized condition that prevents you from working for a year and the requisite amount of work credits. The Social Security Administration will only approve benefits to those who have worked for a certain period of time and contributed to Social Security taxes. If you only just entered the workforce or your disability prevents you from ever working, our team can help determine your eligibility. We can also assess the potential amount of your payments and when you will be reassessed by the SSA.

For a free case review with our Social Security Disability Insurance lawyers, contact us at (479) 316-0438 today.

Everything You Should Know About Apply for and Receiving SSDI Benefits in Morrilton, AR

To apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and keep receiving them, you must know what the c (SSA) requires. Fortunately, our SSDI attorneys can review your case to see if you qualify for benefits, how long you will likely receive payments, and for how much. We can also explain the risks that could stop your payments. The following is everything you should know and that our team can help you with in a Morrilton SSDI claim:

Qualifying for SSDI

If someone has a condition that prevents them from working for at least a year or more, they likely meet one of the criteria listed by the SAA. The list of conditions is expansive, including psychological disorders, numerous cancers, musculoskeletal disorders, and many others. We can gather your medical records and doctors’ statements to include with your claim to prove your condition qualifies.

In addition to having a qualifying condition, you must also have a certain number of “work credits” to get benefits. SSDI is paid from Social Security, so you must have contributed those taxes over time through your paychecks. How long you have worked and your age will factor into how many credits you earned. You need a minimum of 40 credits to qualify, but our team can help you with these challenging calculations. If you were younger than 22 when your disability set in, your parents’ work credits could help if we can qualify you as a “disabled adult child.”

How Often and How Much Payments Will Be

Payments will usually not start immediately after qualifying for SSDI benefits. In most cases, there is a mandatory five-month waiting period before the first check is sent. However, the wait could be as long as six months, depending on when the accident occurred.

After the waiting period, you should receive payments monthly. If your birthday falls between the 1st of the month and the 10th, you will receive a payment on the second Wednesday of each month. Checks will be sent on the third Wednesday of each month to those with birthdays from the 11th to the 20th. Those whose birthdays are in the last ten days of the month will receive a check on the month’s fourth Wednesday.

Direct deposit is the fastest method for receiving your payments since it can be sent directly to your bank account on your Wednesday. You can also get your check by mail if you prefer, but mail service can include delays. We can investigate missing or late payments and contact the SSA to solve the issue.

The SSA uses several factors to determine the amount of benefits to pay a claimant. The cost of living and inflation adjustments are typically assessed with your monthly earnings in the years before you were injured to set the amount. As of this writing in September 2024, the maximum monthly payment is $3,822. Fortunately, this limit increases occasionally to keep up with inflation.

Risks to SSDI Benefits

While you should get benefits for as long as your disability keeps you from working, there are a few ways to jeopardize your payments. First, you must not make more than the “substantial gainful activity” (SGA) set by the SSA if you are still working part-time. SSDI is designed to cover you because you cannot work, so you will be disqualified if you can earn a certain amount per month. Non-blind individuals can receive benefits and work as long as they do not exceed the SGA of $1,550 a month. For blind recipients, the SGA is set at $2,590 monthly. The limits also rise each year.

You might also be subject to a “trial work period” (TWP) at some point during your recovery. Unless your disability is permanent, the SSA will have some projected endpoint for benefits. TWPs are used to test an SSDI recipient’s ability to work again. It does not mean the SSA considers your disability removed, but they do want to test its extent.

During the TWP, the SSA will assess your monthly earnings over a 60-month period and will be triggered when you earn over $1,110 at work in a month. If a recipient earns more than this per month for any nine months during the TWP, the SSA will likely cut off payments.

When the SSA Might Contact You

Outside of your monthly payments, the SSA will only contact you in certain circumstances. How often they do generally depends on the disability being claimed. If your disability is projected to improve at certain points, the SSA might conduct a “continuing disability review” to assess the state of your condition. You might have to undergo a review every several months or several years, depending on the disability. The important thing is to continue your treatments so you have evidence when these reviews come up.

Call Our Morrilton, AR Social Security Disability Attorneys Today for Help Getting Your Benefits

Call our SSDI attorneys at (479) 316-0438 to receive your free case evaluation today.