Receiving Long Term Disability Benefits

A disability that is deemed to last for a long period of time is not only a risk to one's health but will also greatly affect his means of earning income for his living expenses and medications needed.

Injuries and illnesses that can disable a person can come from occupational and non-occupational accidents that threaten their livelihood and normal means of living.


Benefits from the Federal Government

Workers who regularly pay the social security taxes for a certain period of time are entitled to receive benefits for their disability that is likely to last for more than a year and can result to death.

The disability benefits from the Social Security Administration can be claimed after a person meets the earning requirements imposed by the agency.

These earning requirements include the passing of "recent work" test, which will be calculated using the current age and the age of being disabled, as well as the "duration of work" test which should find out if the person has worked long enough to earn benefits.

Aside from this, the claimant must also be able to prove that:

• The disability has lasted for at least five months

• The disabled cannot be employed even if he ventured on to a different career path

• The disability must be proven to last for more than 12 months and can result to the death of the claimant

A person can be considered as a disabled as long as his mental or physical condition is recognized, that it is apparent, and that there is proof of the person having the said condition. The medical certificate that proves the permanent injury should also be presented.


Other Benefits

Aside from the disability benefits that can be claimed from the federal government, here are other possible sources of benefits of a person who incurred a permanent disability:

• Worker's compensation which is only a portion of the person's salary that he would be receiving until his retirement age mandated by the SSA. The illness or the injury must be incurred from an occupational accident.

• Automobile insurance if the car insurance covers the injuries sustained in a car accident.

In some states, people who have incurred short-term disability are also provided with benefits. Some of these states are New York, California, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.


Difficulties in Claiming Benefits

In most cases, people don't get the benefits that they expect from companies and agencies that should provide them with supplemental income in case they are to sustain permanent disability.

If this happens, the disabled employee and his family will encounter undue stress and hassle from filing claims and appealing decisions that deny them of their benefits. To help them, there are social security lawyers who can prove their case and represent the family's best interest in pursuing the disability claims.

To provide you with more information regarding long term disability benefits, consult with our skilled social security attorneys. Log on to our website and dial our toll free number.