Defining disability for Social Security benefits purposes

When a Charlotte resident suffers an injury, they may need a few days to recover from their pain and to rest before they resume their normal activities. If they incur their injury while doing their job, then they may be entitled to pursue workers’ compensation to help them through their time off from work. However, if their injury or ailment is so severe that they cannot return to work, they may have options for seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.

Getting Social Security disability benefits requires an applicant to prove that they are disabled. The agency utilizes its own definition for the term, and that definition has two parts. The first part concerns the ailment that the applicant suffers from, and the second part concerns the duration of time that the ailment will last.

First, an applicant must be able to show that they suffer from a physical or mental impairment that can be determined through medicine, and that their impairment prevents them from performing substantial gainful activity. Second, once their ailment has been demonstrated to prevent them from working, the applicant must be able to show that their ailment will last for at least a year or that it will result in their death.

Meeting this definition of disability is no small feat for individuals who cannot work and who are suffering from painful and incapacitating conditions. They may not know how to prove their claims or how to go about preparing their arguments for benefits. It is when a person is facing these particular challenges that they can benefit from contacting an attorney who understands disability benefits’ law. Attorneys in this field can help their clients prepare applications for benefits that meet the Social Security Administration’s strict definition for disability.