Created in 1956, Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) came about when workers suffered a disability before reaching retirement age. Before 1956, only the standard Social Security retirement benefits were available to these injured workers. If they received any Social Security benefits, the benefits were miniscule. A Tulsa Social Security Disability attorney can help disabled workers apply for SSDI benefits.
These injured-before-retirement workers then also lost years during which they could pay more into Social Security, thereby decreasing the benefits they would later receive. SSDI came about to provide disabled workers benefits, so that they could avoid having to exhaust Social Security retirement benefits. And, now, calculations for retirement benefits will take into account fewer work years if a worker has been unable to work due to injury.
General requirements to be eligible for SSDI include the following: applicants must have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from working; they must be unable to work for at least a year; they must be under the age of 65; and they must have worked at least 5 out of the last 10 years.
There are exceptions to these general requirements. For instance, younger workers who become disabled can qualify with fewer years of work. In general, the older a person is, the longer he or she must have worked. For help determining qualifications for SSDI benefits, a Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyer can provide expert guidance.
