SSDI or, Social Security Disability Insurance, grants a monthly disability payment to those medically unable to work.
Social Security refers to your monthly benefit amount as your PIA. Your PIA is specific to you, the amount of monthly monetary benefit is proportional to what you paid into Social Security through your Social Security taxes during your working years. Every Social Security claimant has a slightly different number based on their individual earnings record.
In addition to medical requirements SSDI has the added prong of work requirements. A claimant must be currently insured under the program in order to be eligible for benefits. To put this in perspective think of the SSDI program like a home or auto insurance policy and think of your Social Security Taxes as the premiums. When you no longer pay the premiums on any insurance policy the coverage under that policy eventually runs out.
As a general rule an SSDI claimant needs five (5) out of the previous ten (10) years of work in order to be currently insured. For every three (3) months of work a workers insured status stretches out three more months. Every worker has a calendar day when their coverage under the SSDI program runs out. That calendar date is your “Date Last Insured.”
In order to win SSDI benefits you must prove you became medically disabled on or before your date last insured. Medical records are the primary way a claimant shows they meet their date last insured. If you cannot prove you were disabled under the Social Security Act on or before your date last insured then you are not eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance.
For more information on SSDI eligibility requirements please give me a call at 419-740-8615. I am more than happy to provide guidance to any prospective client.