Whether it is through diagnosis of an illness or due to an injury, living with a disability is challenging. While a disabling injury or illness may be new for a person, this does not mean it does not impact a person as much as those born with a disabling condition. The reality is that no matter when a person has become disabled, a disability can make it challenging to care for him or her self or ever maintain a job.
According to the Social Security Administration, 56 million Americans live with disabilities. In other words, that is roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Of these, 38 million disabled Americans are living with a severe disability. This equates to 1 in 10 Americans. These disabilities can impact the young and old and could be something one is born with or acquired later in life. No matter the cause of the disability; however, it can cause a person to suffer financial harm because of medical care and the inability to work.
Social Security disability is a program that offers benefits to those meeting the definition of disability by the SSA. This means that the person is unable to work due to a severe medical condition that has lasted or is expected to last one year or result in his or her death. Additionally, the medical condition must prevent the individual from doing work he or she did in the past and prevent the individual from adjusting to other work.
Because there is a strict definition for disability, it is often challenging for applicants to meet this burden. Oftentimes, initial applications are denied. However, a denial does not mean that an applicant cannot obtain SSD benefits. It does mean that the applicant can initiate the appeals process, allowing them to provide additional information and fill any gaps. By doing this, the could obtain these very necessary benefits that could help an individual meet his or her basic living needs while living with a disability.
