Before Applying for SSD - Eligibility

In order to grant benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) requires a definitive diagnosis. This means back pain with no known cause is not sufficient for receiving disability benefits, even if chronic pain is severe enough to prevent you from working.

The key to receiving Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits with back pain is to work closely with your doctor to determine a diagnosis. That diagnosis may not be complicated, but the SSA does need to see that there is either:

• An identifiable physical cause of the pain you experience

OR

The Social Security Administration (SSA) only reviews medical evidence from an “acceptable medical source,” and chiropractors are not among the approved sources of reputable medical data according to SSA standards. This means:

AND

Whether you are the guardian of a child Social Security beneficiary or of a disabled adult who receives Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you may need additional assistance to provide the care and support the individual needs. Although you cannot receive temporary guardian benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), there are a number of other programs and administrative rules of which you should be aware.

Representative Payee Status

Although Social Security programs, including disability, are federal benefits, both federal and state laws play a role in determining your eligibility. This means you may or may not be eligible as a spouse in a civil union.

Every state has its own laws regarding the legality of:

Can you transfer work credits from a different country? 

Some Americans who work outside the United States can receive Social Security credit for their period of foreign employment. Working outside the U.S. can complicate the benefit process some, but foreign work credits can also make you eligible for Social Security when you may not otherwise be.

Foreign Work Credits and Covered Nations 

Do children born outside of marriage qualify for disability benefits on the parent's record?

Any biological child may qualify for disability benefits as a dependent under his or her parent’s work record or earnings history—whether or not the child was born to married parents.

For a child to qualify for disability benefits under the record of a parent, the parent in question must be listed on the child’s birth certificate.

It is important to note that children can qualify for disability benefits in two ways:

The vast majority of individuals who receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are U.S. citizens, but both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs contain provisions under which certain non-citizens may qualify for disability benefits.

To qualify for benefits under SSDI, all non-citizens must meet the following basic requirements:

Can an adult be eligible for child disability benefits?

An adult disabled before the age of 22 may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits if one of his or her parents is deceased, receiving retirement benefits, or receiving disability benefits. The Social Security Administration considers this type of benefit to be a child’s benefit because it is paid on the Social Security earnings of the recipient’s parent.

In order to qualify for child disability benefits as an adult, a Disabled Adult Child (DAC) must:

Will I Qualify for Disability if I was Paid Under the Table?

Having a job that pays under the table can compromise your eligibility for disability benefits.

SSDI

What is a Social Security Disability Technical Denial?

Many Social Security Disability (SSD) applications are denied during the initial stages of the process, not because applicants do not meet the medical criteria, but because they are not “technically” eligible.

A “technical denial” occurs when an applicant does not meet the basic, non-medical criteria for disability benefits.

For SSDI benefits, a “technical denial” may occur as a result of any of the following factors: