If you are unable to work or are disabled in Greenville, South Carolina, you may be eligible to receive social security disability benefits. Social security disability benefits are benefits which are paid to you if you qualify as having a disability and have paid enough into social security within the past 10 years. In certain circumstances, you may qualify for Social Security Income (SSI) benefits if you have a disability and low income, but do not have enough work credits to qualify for social security disability benefits.
First and foremost, in order to qualify for social security disability, you must fall under South Carolina’s definition of disability.
What Does Greenville, South Carolina Define as Disabled?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) states that a person who is disabled must be affected by the following factors:
- The individual must be unable to perform their work as they did before the disability
- The individual’s ability to work must be because of their disability
- The individual’s disability must last for at least one year
If you do not have a disability that the SSA lists as a legal disability, but can prove that you fall under the above three requirements, then you may still be eligible for social security disability.
In addition to meeting the SSA’s definition of disability in Greenville, South Carolina, you must also have worked long enough while paying into social security to qualify for benefits. Your eligibility is partially based on work credits, which you must earn while you have been working within the past 10 years. How many work credits you need to be eligible for social security disability will depend on your age as well as when you became disabled.
Typically, most people require 40 credits to be eligible, while 20 of these credits must be earned within the last 10 years. It is important to note, though, that if you are a younger worker, you may be eligible for social security disability if you have fewer credits.
What Should I Do if I Don’t Have Enough Work Credits for SSDI Benefits in Greenville, South Carolina?
If you do not have enough work credits and are of limited income in Greenville, South Carolina, you may still be eligible for social security disability benefits. Whether you are considered of limited income depends entirely on your assets, income and any property you may own.
If you have not worked under social security and do not have the income to support you, you may be able to qualify for SSI benefits. This is why you should contact a lawyer if you are disabled and need help determining if you qualify for benefits.
Will My Social Security Disability Benefits Run Out?
The Disability Insurance Trust Fund contributes to social security disability insurance and Supplemental Security Income. These funds were expected to run out of coverage in 2016, which would have resulted in a cut for those who were receiving benefits at the time. Congress has since then enacted the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which gave money to the Social Security Trust Fund to ensure that disability benefits remain intact until 2022.
Congress has launched an investigation to deliver a new program to save costs which will make disability benefits sustainable after 2022. Although it is unsure what will happen by 2022, in the case that a cost-saving plan has not been developed by that time, your benefits will not be cut off completely — although they may be reduced.
With that said, there are instances where your disability benefits may be terminated or cut completely. If the SSA determines that you no longer suffer from a disabling condition, they could cut your SSDI benefits. In these cases, you will still receive benefits for another two months before they are stopped all together. If this has happened to you, then an SSDI attorney in Greenville, South Carolina can help. They can explain your legal options and the best ways for your to fight your SSDI termination.
Contact a SSDI Lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina to Discuss Your Legal Options
Navigating through a disability is hard. Not only have you lost your form of income, but you have to deal with the complications and stress of figuring out whether or not you are eligible for social security disability benefits and if they will run out. If you have a disability in Greenville, South Carolina, and are unsure about your social security disability eligibility, contact J. Robert Surface Law today for help through the process. Your SSDI lawyer will educate you on the intricacies of SSDI law as well as on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 and how it may affect your social security disability benefits in 2022.
