If you're a disabled individual in your forties or fifties who has a very limited job history, you may not think you qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Although you might not qualify for traditional SSD, you may still qualify for Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI) instead. SSI doesn't require individuals to have any type of work history. Learn more about SSI and whether or not you can apply for it below.
What's Supplemental Security Income?
Before you apply for SSI, you must know a few things first. SSD provides benefits to individuals who can no longer work in a traditional employment setting. Individuals qualify for SSD based on the wages or work income they earned throughout their lifetime. SSI provides benefits to individuals who have very limited to no employment history, including older adults and children.
SSI also requires you to meet certain income guidelines to apply for benefits. You must have very little income and resources, such as a rental property or an inheritance. If you do receive an outside income or inheritance, the Security Administration (SSA) may count these things as income.
If you meet the requirements above, contact a Social Security lawyer for further assistance.
How Do You Apply for Supplemental Security Income Benefits?
A Social Security lawyer will need to learn more about your disability before they help you. If you already possess medical documentation for your disability, provide an attorney with this information right away. Otherwise, an attorney will need to send you to a medical doctor for care. An attorney must provide evidence of your disability before they file your claim.
In addition to medical documentation, an SSI attorney will need to examine your assets and income. For example, if you own a checking or savings account, present this information to an attorney. An attorney may want to obtain statements of your accounts right away. The SSA may also examine your accounts for details about your financial state.
After a Social Security attorney gathers the information above, they'll help you apply for SSI online or in person. The process may take a number of months to complete. The time may depend on your age, state of health, and income.
If you think you qualify for SSI benefits and would like to complete an application or file a claim, contact a disability attorney for a review or consultation today.
To learn more, contact an SSI attorney.
Share3 March 2021
The laws governing child custody and guardianship can be confusing. As a family attorney, I have helped many clients gain legal guardianship over a foster child or a relative's child. Getting legal guardianship of a child you are caring for is important because you need to be able to make decisions about that child's education, health care and other matters. This blog will help you navigate the world of legal guardianship and show you how to take steps to get guardianship over a child whether the child's parents are cooperative or not. Legal guardianship does matter even if a child is not going to be adopted. I hope to help people find the way to get this done.
