Can I receive short term or partial disability from Social Security?

If you are disabled, you may have heard about Social Security Disability benefits. SSD is a program run by the government through the Social Security administration. It seeks to provide benefits for individuals who are so severely disabled that they are unable to work for a long period of time.

The SSA’s main criterion for applicants is that an individual’s disability is so severe that it prohibits them from holding a full-time job, and that the disability is likely to last for at least a year, or result in death. While there are other requirements and records that SSA uses to determine eligibility, such as work credits and medical files, this is the primary requirement.

That means that if your disability is short term, or if it only partially affects your ability to work full-time, you are not eligible for SSD benefits. Simply put, there is no such thing as short term or partial disability from the SSD program. In order to receive SSD, you must meet their standard of disability, which is the inability to work for at least 12 months.

This strict definition for SSD benefits is a result of federal law, but there are other programs that give money to people with partial or short-term disability. To learn more about agencies and programs that support individuals with non-long term disabilities, you can check with your state’s Department of Labor. Furthermore, many employers offer short term or partial disability benefits to employees.

If you have questions about the Social Security Disability program and whether or not you might qualify to receive SSD benefits, we are here to help. At Berger and Green, we have been helping our clients get the benefits that they deserve for 40 years. Give us a call us today at 1-800-999-2626. You can talk to us for free.