Residents of Baltimore, Maryland work hard for their money, and those who suddenly become unable to work may face a variety of serious financial hardships. If you’re dealing with a disabling injury or illness, then you can expect to be faced with unexpected medical bills along with the regular expenses that come with trying to provide for the normal care and support of yourself and your family. These obligations can be extremely difficult to meet without a regular paycheck to count on, so you should check to see if you may be entitled to benefits through Social Security Disability Insurance, which is normally referred to as SSDI.
What is SSDI?
A program offered by the federal government, SSDI provides support for workers who are no longer able to perform the duties of their job due to a disability that has been determined to be of a long-term nature. SSDI is generally available to those who are expected to be disabled for more than a year and those who are disabled from an illness or other condition that is likely to result in death. Those with disabilities that are expected to last only a short while or who are able to perform any type of gainful or substantial work are not typically eligible for this program.
SSDI is not a welfare or charity program. As a worker, you pay into this fund each week in the form of FICA taxes that are withheld from each of your paychecks. Even self-employed workers are required to pay FICA taxes, so any full-time worker who suffers from a serious, long-term disability may be eligible for SSDI. If the head of the household becomes disabled, then their spouse may also qualify for payments if he or she is over the age of 62 or is responsible for the care of a minor child.
Social Security Disability in Baltimore
Any seriously disabled Baltimore worker may be eligible for benefits if he or she meets the necessary SSDI qualification requirements. Here are a few facts to help you determine your eligibility.
Work Requirements: Each employee must work a certain number of hours each year to be eligible for SSDI benefits, and that number increases with age. For example, those employees who have not yet reached the age of 28 only need to have worked for one and a half years to be eligible for SSDI, but a 42-year-old worker will need to have worked five years in order to apply for these benefits.
Time Limitations: Those who wish to apply for SSDI benefits must have held a job in the recent past. If you have not worked for at least five years during the past 10 years, you may not be considered for these benefits.
Proof of Medical Disability: You must prove that you have been diagnosed with a serious disability that prevents you from working before you may be considered for SSDI benefits. Your primary care physician will need to provide the Social Security Administration with all of the pertinent medical records that show the date that you were diagnosed with the disability and an outline of your treatment plan.
A Baltimore SSDI Lawyer is Available to Help
It can be difficult for a disabled worker to find their way through the lengthy process of applying for SSDI benefits alone, and it’s far too easy to make a mistake that could get your claim denied as you fill out the technical paperwork that is required. Sadly, around seventy percent of applications for SSDI are denied, and these denials are sometimes in error.
Fortunately, experienced Baltimore SSDI lawyers are available to help you with your initial application for benefits or with your appeal if you feel that you’ve been wrongly denied. We’ve been fighting for disabled Baltimore workers to receive the benefits that they are entitled to for years, and you can count on us to carefully research your work and medical records to determine if you are eligible for SSDI benefits.
If you need help, then please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You’ll be provided with a free consultation, and we will get busy on your case right away if it’s determined that you have a right to these benefits.
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