FAQs

Who is eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits?

In order to receive Social Security Disability benefits, you must (1) have a medical condition that meets Social Security’s standard for disability and (2) have been employed and received insured status for Social Security disability benefits.

What is “insured status”?

When you are employed, your employer will (generally) take Social Security, or FICA, taxes out of every paycheck. Essentially, when you pay enough in taxes, you earn one “quarter of coverage.” You can receive up to four quarters of coverage in a single year. In order to receive Social Security disability benefits, you have to be “paid up” on your insurance coverage. This means you generally have to have worked 20 out of the last 40 quarters (i.e. 5 out of the last 10 years) before the date you became disabled. The rules get more complicated if there were years you didn’t work or only worked part of the year. You can verify your insured status with you local disability office or via MySSA.gov.

Once I’m insured, am I always insured?

Unfortunately, you are not. Once you stop working (and therefore stop paying into the Social Security system via taxes taken from you paycheck) the clock starts ticking. If you were working consistently for 10 years, you’ll generally retain your insured status for approximate 5 years after you stop working. The date your insured status expires is known as your date last insured.

How do I know what my date last insured is?

You can find out your date last insured from the Social Security Administration. You can contact them via your local office or you can look up your personal records via MySSA.gov.

What if I’m not insured anymore?

You may still be able to apply for benefits on your earnings record, even if your date last insured is in the past. You should talk to a qualified attorney representative about this issue. You may also be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

How does Social Security decide if I’m disabled?

Social Security determines whether you meet their medical rules for disability via their five-step sequential evaluation. In short, Social Security looks at whether you’re working, whether you have a medical condition that affects your ability to work, whether your medical condition meets the requirements of any of their listing of impairments, and, if not, what you residual functional capacity is. Social Security defines your residual functional capacity as the most you can do despite your conditions. Social Security then determines whether you’re able to perform any of your past work or any other work in the national economy.