What is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
Serving Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and surrounding areas
Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, is a federal-government program that provides financial benefits to workers (and sometimes their family members), if they become mentally or physically disabled and cannot work for a year or longer.
Run by the Social Security Administration, SSDI pays cash benefits based on a number of factors, including how recently you have worked and how long you have paid Social Security taxes. Generally, SSDI pays benefits until you are able to work again on a regular basis.
One important note: The SSDI program only covers only total disability. No benefits are available for partial or short-term disability.
To qualify for SSDI, you must have a medical condition that meets the agency’s disability definition. That means your SSDI claim will be reviewed with these factors in mind:
- You currently must not be able to earn money from working.
- Your condition must be considered severe enough to interfere with basic work activities.
- Your condition may be found in the Social Security Administration’s list of disabling conditions. You can find that list here. (If your condition is not on this list, the Social Security Administration will have to determine if your issue is of equal severity to those on this list.)
- You must be unable to do the work you did previously — and unable to adjust to other types of work.
- Your disability must have lasted or be expected to last for at least one year (or to result in death).
If you suffer from a disability and are unable to work because of it, you should take the appropriate steps to file for SSDI benefits. However, keep in mind that processing this type of claim can be a long and complex ordeal.
In fact, 70 percent of applicants are denied benefits on the first try. That’s why the appeals process is extremely important in qualifying for SSDI benefits. Timing is critical, too: You have just 60 days from the day of your denial to appeal.
If you live in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, area and are considering applying for SSDI benefits, be sure to contact the law office of Stipe Injury Law first for a free, initial consultation. We can help answer questions and guide you through the process. And we are only paid if we collect benefits for you.
Although medical professionals are required by law to exercise the utmost care, skill and diligence when treating their patients, it is estimated that over 90,000 people every year are either injured or killed due to physician or nurse error. 
When workers are injured, employers and their workers compensation insurance carrier are responsible for providing those employees with the medical care they need as quickly as possible. 
If you are disabled, and can no longer work, the federal government offers disability payments to individuals who qualify under the Social Security Disability Insurance plan. 
