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Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides monthly benefits to individuals who cannot work due to a medical condition. Payments vary based on your age, employment history, and more. Therefore, how much you can receive in SSDI in North Carolina will depend on factors unique to you.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of entrusting a social security disability lawyer in Rutherfordton with your claim.
SSDI Is a Federally Administered Program
SSDI is a federally administered benefits program, so your location does not alter your monthly payments. What can affect your eligibility and benefit amount is your age, the number of work credits you have amassed during your employment history, and your level of earnings throughout your employment history.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), workers can earn up to four credits annually based on taxes they pay on their wages or self-employment income. In 2024, each $1,730 in wages or income equals one credit. You usually need at least 20 credits to qualify for SSDI, though younger workers may need fewer credits to qualify. In general, the more credits you have, the higher your SSDI payment will be.
SSDI is different from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While both SSDI and SSI benefit disabled individuals, SSI is not related to work history. Instead, eligibility is financially based and is available to individuals with limited income and resources.
Average Social Security Disability Payments for All Recipients in 2024
SSDI and SSI are both affected by the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The Social Security Administration (SSA) has adjusted SSDI and SSI benefits in accordance with the 3.2% COLA increase for 2024.
The average monthly SSDI benefit is currently $1,536. For SSI recipients, the maximum monthly federal SSI payment for 2024 is $943 per individual or $1,415 for eligible individuals and their spouses. Unlike SSDI, which is the same no matter where you live, SSI can vary based on location. Some states, including North Carolina, offer a state-administered supplement. A disability lawyer with our firm can explain more.
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Do You Qualify for SSDI or SSI?
To draw Social Security before retirement age, the SSA has specific qualifications for determining if a condition is disabling.
Medical Qualifications
The SSA maintains a list of disabling conditions called the Blue Book. The Blue Book contains 14 categories of impairment and the criteria used to evaluate each condition. Listed conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Chronic kidney and liver disorders
- Chronic heart disorders
- Chronic respiratory disorders
- Cancer
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Amputation
- Organ transplant
- Early-onset Alzheimer’s
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Mental illness and personality disorders
If you have a medical problem not contained in the Blue Book, you can still pursue disability benefits. However, you must supply the SSA with medical records proving your condition is as severe and debilitating as those listed.
Financial Qualifications
The SSA does not consider you disabled if you can perform substantial gainful activity (SGA). The 2024 SGA limit is $1,550 ($2,590 for blind individuals). If you can make this much or more while working, you are not eligible for SSDI or SSI.
In addition, you usually are not eligible for SSI if you make more than $2,000 in monthly income and possess more than $2,000 in assets (such as vehicles or savings accounts).
Some Social Security Disability applicants can qualify for SSDI and SSI concurrently, but they must go through a separate application process for each. Understand that SSDI benefits and other sources of income, such as unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, or a personal injury settlement, can put you above SSI’s financial eligibility limits.
When Should You Apply?
You can and should apply for disability benefits as soon as you develop a medical condition that prevents you from performing SGA. Applying immediately establishes the earliest possible onset date and can help you secure the maximum back pay possible.
Can You Appeal Denied SSDI Claims or Revoked Benefits?
You can appeal denied SSDI and SSI claims. You can also appeal if the SSA revokes your benefits or your SSDI payment is less than it should be. To appeal, you may progress through the following four stages:
- Reconsideration. You can ask the SSA to take another look at its initial determination. An official not connected with the original decision will conduct the review. You can make this request for medical or non-medical reasons.
- Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing. An ALJ hearing is like any other official court hearing. You can present evidence and introduce witnesses, and the Judge may ask you questions. You can have legal counsel represent you during the proceeding.
- Appeals Council review. If you disagree with the outcome of the ALJ hearing, you can ask the Appeals Council to review the decision. It may make its own determination or refer your case back to a Judge.
- Federal Court. If the Appeals Council decides against you or refuses to take up your case, you can take legal action in U.S. District Court.
You have 60 days to begin the appeals process. The clock starts when you receive notice of the SSA’s initial determination. You then have 60 days between each stage to advance your claim. Your claim could be approved at any of the stages listed above.
Should You Get a Disability Attorney?
Seeking Social Security Disability can be complex, and most applicants are unsuccessful on their first attempt. It can benefit you to work with our firm’s SSDI lawyers in North Carolina.
We can review your initial application and help you understand what went wrong with your claim. From there, we can get to work bolstering your case with additional evidence. At every stage, we will represent you and your best interests.
Contact Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC for SSDI Help in North Carolina
The Social Security Disability attorneys at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC are here to help you secure your SSDI or SSI benefits. Contact us today and see why our legal services have been voted “Best of Rutherford County” for over a decade. Free consultations.
