If you have developed a disability and it has become so serious that you can no longer continue working, you may be able to obtain disability benefits payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA has two programs available for which you can apply, depending on your work history, income and assets. Social security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits are available to disabled applicants who have worked for long enough to meet the work criteria. Applicants who do not meet the work criteria may be able to apply for supplemental security income (SSI) benefits if their assets and income are low enough.
The SSA is a federal agency and disability benefits paid by the SSA are available independently of the state in which the applicant lives. Residents of South Carolina have the same opportunity to apply for disability benefits as do residents of any other state in the U.S.
Meeting Requirements to Receive SSDI Benefits in South Carolina
The SSA’s SSDI benefits program is available to applicants who can prove they have accumulated sufficient work credits from their contributions to social security in the payroll taxes they paid while employed. To be eligible for SSDI there are three main requirements that must be satisfied:
- Applicants must have a medical condition that meets the criteria of a serious disability as described in the SSA’s Blue Book listings. Medical documentation to support the description of the medical condition must be sufficient to satisfy the SSA’s examiners. The medical condition must be serious enough to prevent the applicant from working for at least the next 12 months or be a terminal condition likely to lead to the applicant’s death.
- Applicants must have paid social security contributions in their payroll taxes while employed. To meet the work requirement, the applicant must have accumulated sufficient work credits over the time they have worked and have worked recently. The number of work credits required to meet eligibility criteria depends on the age of the applicant.
- Applicants must not have an income greater than an amount set by the SSA. This is called the substantial gainful activity (SGA). The 2025 SGA is $1,620 per month for applicants who are disabled but not blind. Applicants who have an income greater than this amount are not normally considered eligible for disability benefits.
The second program available from the SSA to be eligible for disability benefits is known as supplemental security income (SSI). This may be available to those on low incomes and with few assets and whose disability meets the criteria for a medical condition as described in the Blue Book.
Meeting Requirements to Receive SSI Benefits in South Carolina
- Cannot apply for SSDI benefits because insufficient work credits have been earned.
- The medical condition meets the criteria of a Blue Book listing and sufficient medical documentation to support the application has been submitted.
- The total income and assets of the applicant (except for the value of a home) are below a level set by the SSA. Single individuals, for example, cannot have assets worth more than $2,000 and $3,000 for couples. SSI benefits are reduced by 50 cents in the dollar for earnings of more than $65 per month.
Applying for either SSDI or SSI can be challenging and many applications are initially rejected for one reason or another. Most commonly it is due to insufficient medical documentation, but mistakes made about income or work history can also lead to a benefits decision rejection. A South Carolina disability lawyer can help with legal assistance if you are applying for SSDI or SSI benefits or have decided to appeal a denied application.
Filling Out a Disability Benefits Application in South Carolina
It is important to fill in your application for SSDI or SSI disability benefits in South Carolina as correctly as possible and provide as much supporting information as you can when first applying. Questions can be asked by telephone about your eligibility and the application process.
Filling out the disability application forms correctly is crucial to the approval of your claim. Below are some key sections and tips to help you complete your application accurately.
- Provide a detailed medical history showing how the symptoms of your disability developed and how these had an effect on your ability to remain employed and describe treatment given and prognosis for the future of the disability.
- Give a detailed list of your past work history showing what you did, how long each job lasted, and how your developing disability impacted your ability to work until you could no longer work.
- Provide your social security number, I.D., and up-to-date personal contact details such as phone number, residential address, postal address, and email address.
Tracking Your Application & Follow-Up
Disability benefits applications can take a long time before an initial decision is made. Often this can run into months. You can track the progress of your application online through your social security account or in person at a regional SSA office.
The SSA may ask for further evidence to support your application and may request that you attend a consultative examination by the SSA’s own medical examiners. Whatever the SSA’s requests, it is important not to ignore them, but to ensure you respond as swiftly as possible.
It is a good idea to contact a South Carolina disability lawyer at any stage of your application to obtain professional assistance with your application.
Is it Hard to Get Approved for Disability Benefits in South Carolina?
Initial application approvals for benefits in South Carolina are about average for the U.S. at 43%, but South Carolina is in the top 10 states when the approval rate after a hearing is taken into consideration. A hearing is the second stage of an appeal following reconsideration of a denied application. 60% of applications are approved in South Carolina after a hearing has taken place, one of the highest approval rates in the country.
The fact that benefits applications can be still approved once an appeal has been made should encourage benefits applicants to apply for disability benefits if they can no longer work and meet the medical criteria set by the SSA.
Tips for Getting Approved in South Carolina
Tips to get approved for disability benefits in South Carolina include:
- Avoid simple mistakes like not providing i.d., contact details, social security number, work history information, etc.;
- Make sure your medical documentation is thorough and up to date, including evidence you are continuing treatment;
- Contact a South Carolina disability lawyer for legal help, especially if your application has been rejected initially and you are considering making an appeal.
Connect with a Disability Attorney in South Carolina
A South Carolina disability attorney can help you with your application as they are familiar with how to apply for Social Security disability benefits in South Carolina. In most cases, a disability lawyer will defer legal fees until you get paid benefits. This is important to remember when your initial application has been rejected and you have to appeal the decision. Denied SSDI or SSI applications are common, but often times these decisions are reversed when an appeal has been made with the help of a disability lawyer.
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