Social Security disability is a program which is administered by the US federal government; the objective is to provide some income to all disabled workers who are eligible to participate in the program. Social security disability law in Bedford, PA is that which provides these benefits either on a full time permanent basis or a temporary basis. Social security disability income, SSDI, must not be confused with SSI which is Supplemental Security Income which is also a government sponsored benefits program but it involves both the federal and state government.
There are a number of criteria that must be met to be eligible to collect benefits under the disability law in Bedford, PA. Of all the criteria the most important is the ability to prove that the applicant has a physical or mental disability that makes it impossible for him or her to work. The condition must one which is expected to last for a minimum of 12 months or it is expected that the individual will die as a result of the disability and the applicant has not yet reached the age of 65. Finally the applicant must have worked gainfully for five of the last ten years and managed to accrue enough work credits. If the applicant meets all of these criteria then they can receive monthly cash benefits for as long as they remain qualified which may be for the rest of their life.
Social security disability law in Bedford, PA is very strict and eligibility revolves around whether the applicant is disabled in accordance with the law. Over and above the anticipated duration of the condition the law also takes into consideration whether the applicant will ever be able to return to the work they did in the past and it must be decided whether the individual is capable of adjusting to different working conditions or not. The process that one must go through is quite lengthy and always requires a great deal of supporting medical documentation.
Another major issue when it comes to disability law in Bedford PA is whether the applicant has worked long enough and accrued enough work credits to qualify. To get enough recent work credits means the applicant must have worked 50 percent of the time over the last ten years.
The benefit amount is set by law; it depends on the wages the disabled individual earned prior to the onset of the disability. In many cases the disabled person’s spouse and minor children may also receive benefits as long as the primary beneficiary keeps getting benefits.
Social security disability law in Bedford, PA is very complicated and the interpretation of the law and how it may apply to a person claiming disability is the domain of a lawyer.
