Waiting for a response on your Social Security Disability Insurance application can be an anxiety-inducing time. Applicants are eager for any hints as to whether their application will be approved or not. So, what are some signs that you will be approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
There are many signs that can hint towards approval for SSDI benefits, such as being unable to work, meeting the work credit requirement, being unable to perform past work, having extensive medical documentation of your disability as evidence, and much more.
Read below as we discuss these signs in more detail.
Following are eleven signs that you might be approved for Social Security Disability Insurance.
1. Sufficient Work Credits
One of the prerequisites for receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration is having sufficient work credits. Work credits can be earned by having a job where you contribute to social security taxes. One credit is awarded with each $1,650 in covered earnings, and you can earn up to a maximum of four credits per year for $6,560 in earnings.
A combination of a “recent work test” and a “duration work test” establishes the minimum number of work credits required to receive disability benefits. The age-related prerequisites are as follows:
- If you’re under 24 years old, you need to have accumulated six work credits within a three-year timeframe to qualify.
- If you’re between the ages of 24 and 31, you need to have accumulated four full years of work credits during at least half of the time between turning 21 and the year your disability started.
- If you’re 31 or older, you need to have accumulated at least 20 work credits within the last 10 years before your disability started.
You will not be qualified for Social Security disability benefits if you do not have the required number of work credits. Nevertheless, you still have the option to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
2. Inability to Work for 12 Months
Your chances of having your disability claim approved improve if you can show that you are unable to work due to your disability or work in any field related to your education or experience. Disability applicants must show the Social Security Administration (SSA) that their condition is expected to last for at least 1 year.
Provide proof that you are unable to perform any other kind of work due to your condition or that you lack the necessary abilities for any other type of work that you could perform while disabled.
While your employer provides paperwork attesting to your unemployment status in the last year, you should submit your own salary slips and bank statements to further verify that you were, in fact, unemployed throughout that time.
The Social Security Administration will likely deny your application for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits if you fail to provide sufficient evidence that your condition prevents you from working for a full year.
A doctor’s note or other medical proof might help strengthen your case for disability compensation.
This includes not just how well you are responding to treatment and what the expected outcomes are, but also the findings of any tests and your doctor’s report. A letter of support from your primary physician is also acceptable.
3. Extensive Medical Documentation
One of the most common reasons for getting rejected for Social Security Disability Insurance is a lack of supporting medical documentation. This means that applicants did not give the Social Security Administration enough information regarding their medical status.
Submitting a full set of medical records and reports will benefit your claim and improve your approval chances. Some examples of such medical records are:
- Complete medical history
- Medical test reports
- Reports of X-rays and CT scans
- A detailed account of the prescribed treatments
- Receipts for medicines or prescriptions, etc.
A signed document from your doctor verifying the accuracy of each diagnostic test should also accompany each medical report.
By providing the necessary medical documentation, you can prove that your medical condition is severe and prevents you from working. This will help the Social Security Administration determine whether or not you meet the requirements for SSDI benefits.
4. Regular Medical Care
Seeing a doctor regularly is a strong indicator that Social Security Disability Insurance may approve your claim. Getting regular medical care demonstrates that you’re committed to improving your health or keeping it under control.
It’s also helpful to know that there are circumstances under which a disability claim is more likely to be approved. For instance, you may have lost the ability to sit or stand because of a medical condition. You’ll either need to be in a permanently reclined position or continually on the go. This kind of situation strengthens the claim.
Having a condition that isn’t going to improve and is only going to get worse increases your chances of being approved for disability. Examples of degenerative chronic diseases include:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Arthritis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Huntington’s disease
There is a higher chance of acceptance during the application process for people with these kinds of conditions.
5. Hospitalization
Having spent time in the hospital due to your medical condition is also a good sign that your disability claim will be approved. This applies to both physical and mental health conditions.
If you’re trying to get disability benefits for a mental disorder, having a serious mental health crisis can demonstrate how severe the condition is.
Sharing information about both inpatient stays and extensive outpatient care is beneficial. They help convey the seriousness of your condition.
6. Blue Book Listing
If you suffer from a medical condition that satisfies the requirements listed in the SSA’s Blue Book, this could be a sign that you are qualified to receive disability benefits from the SSA.
Even if your medical condition doesn’t match the Blue Book criteria, you could still be eligible for benefits through a medical-vocational allowance and by filling out a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form after having tests performed by your doctor.
Note that just because your condition is listed in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book does not mean you will be approved for benefits. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will decide if you are eligible for disability benefits after a thorough examination of your application and may issue a bench decision at your hearing.
It is strongly advised to consult a medical professional to get a diagnosis of your condition and verify that your condition is covered by a Blue Book listing, a vocational expert to verify that you are unable to resume work or perform any other jobs due to your disability, and a Social Security Disability advocate or lawyer to help you present your case.
7. Substantial Gainful Activity Limit
Social Security Administration guidelines specify that one cannot qualify for disability payments if one is capable of engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). In 2023, the SGA cap for non-blind persons is $1,470 per month, while the SGA cap for legally blind persons is $2,460 per month.
You cannot get disability benefits if your monthly income is more than the SGA threshold. On the other hand, if you have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits and your income is at or below the SGA limit, you may be qualified for disability payments.
8. Retirement Age
Getting closer to retirement age may make you more eligible for disability payments. The Social Security Administration takes your age into account when deciding whether or not you can work and receive benefits. The approval rate for disability claims increases with age.
If you’re over 50, your Social Security Disability Insurance claim has a better chance of being approved. If you are over the age of 60, things become even simpler. The government views you as “less trainable” as a result of your age.
For instance, you may have worked in a field that required strenuous physical labor in the past, but you are no longer able to do those duties. If you were a younger person, the government could recommend that you get a job working in an office. However, they are less likely to do so if you are an older adult.
Some skill sets are not easily transferable to other jobs. According to the Social Security Administration, job transferability is more likely to occur in situations where:
- A similar or lower level of skill is needed
- Tools and machinery are the same or quite comparable
- The materials, processes, and services are all identical or very comparable
Someone with a background as a welder wouldn’t be well-suited for an office setting. Similarly, skills acquired in occupations like mining, agriculture, and fishing, for example, are not easily transferable to other fields. In addition, the government is less likely to provide job training if you are beyond the age of 50.
9. Past Work
You might have a good chance of winning your disability claim if you used to have a job that required a high level of physical exertion but that you are no longer able to perform due to a medical condition or injury.
The Social Security Administration will take into account your physical residual functional capacity while deciding whether or not to grant you disability benefits.
You’ll be placed in one of five groups based on how well you can stand, walk, sit, lift, carry, and bend:
- Sedentary
- Light
- Medium
- Heavy
- Very heavy
The more physically demanding the work is, the higher in the list you’ll be placed (“heavy” or “very heavy”).
If you can no longer work your previous employment due to physical limitations and are unable to undertake alternative work due to a lack of training or experience, this is a good sign that your disability claim will be approved.
10. Lack of Higher Education
Having no advanced degree is another indication that your disability claim might be granted. You may not be able to get a job that demands certain expertise if you only have a high school diploma.
The Social Security Administration categorizes jobs as either “unskilled,” “semi-skilled,” or “skilled” based on information from the Department of Labor. Following those rules:
- Unskilled work can be learned quickly while on the job within a month. This type of work requires no special education or training.
- Semi-skilled work requires some skills but doesn’t require more complicated tasks.
- Skilled work requires some qualifications that allow you to understand how machines work or how to work with abstract concepts.
If you don’t have an advanced degree, you may have trouble finding jobs that pay well enough to qualify as SGA. You can use your education level as evidence to show that you are not qualified for other “skilled work” that counts as SGA.
11. Inability to Work a 40 Hour Work Week
Even if you’re over 50, there’s a chance the SSA may decide you can still work. This may happen even if you provide evidence that you are unable to carry out your previous job duties.
The Social Security Administration may decide that you are capable of doing a job that requires less mental or physical exertion. If that’s the case, the only way to get benefits is to show that you can’t work a regular 40-hour week.
You can do this by showing that you’ll spend a lot of time “off task.” You can’t work if, for instance, your heart condition requires that you lie down and prop up your legs for two hours every day. In a similar manner, if you are unable to do even the most basic of your job duties due to pain or a mental health issue, you will not be able to keep your position for long.
Another option is demonstrating the need to take more frequent breaks. These pauses would be in addition to the regular schedule. If you have Crohn’s disease, for instance, you might need to take breaks from your job several times during the day so that you can use the restroom. The vast majority of employers are not going to provide you with multiple breaks.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many signs that you may be approved for Social Security disability insurance. You can use these to build a stronger claim or find assurance during the waiting period. For additional information on whether you qualify for disability benefits, visit the SSA’s website, or you may consult with a SSDI attorney.
