what are qualifications for disability?

Question

my husband has seizures and wedont know if he qualify's? he takes medication to prevent them but the side effects can get pretty bad.

Answer 1

depending on the severity of his seizures. really it is up to the social security board. you can visit them at SSA.GOV. and they will show what to do to find out. hope this helps. you can even file a claim online.

Answer 2

The Social Security Administration will evaluate him 2 ways, medically and financially. He may be eligible for either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) depending on his work history and financial resources. The medical criteria for both programs is the same, and the application process for both is simultaneous.

Medically, he will have to prove that, due to his disability(s), he is unable to earn income for 12 months or more above the "substantial gainful activity" level which was set at $860/month for 2006. It will be easier to prove this if he has up-to-date medical or mental health records. If he has worked for short periods of time but hasn't been able to continue because of his disability, he may still be eligible. SSA calls this an Unsuccessful Work Attempt.

Financially, if he has very low (below $860/mo.) or no earned income and he doesn't own resources beyond $3,000 ($2,000 for an individual), he may be financially eligible for SSI. Some resources don't count such as 1 vehicle, the house one lives in, equipment necessary for work, etc. If one is married, SSA will also consider the spouse's income and resources. If he has a work history, he may be eligible for SSDI. SSDI doesn't have a limit on your resources, but it still requires that earned income is below the Substantial Gainful Activity level I mentioned above.

To get information on how to apply for benefits, go to: http://www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability/

Many people are denied on their initial application because they did not provide enough medical information. In this case, I recommend making an appeal. Here is a national list of independent living centers. A benefits advocate can be helpful. http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

Also, here's a great group of people who've been through the process personally: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ssadisability/

All the best...

Answer 3

You can go to the Social Security website, they have tons of info there about disability benefits. They will tell you exactly what you need to do to apply, and what to expect if you are approved.