Can I Get Temporary Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits?

November 2, 2018

No, you cannot get temporary Social Security Disability or SSI benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA)’s strict criteria make it so that there is no such thing as temporary SSDI or SSI. The SSA nor any of its federal programs provide short-term disability. You can check with your employer about short-term disability insurance you may have and what it covers.

Generally, to qualify for Social Security Disability programs — including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — your impairment must:

Last for a year or more
Be permanent or will likely lead to your death

A Social Security Disability lawyer in Pittsburg can explain your options if you want to file a claim with the SSA. You disabling medical condition must be expected to last for 12 months to qualify for benefits or has lasted for 12 months.

You Could Receive Disability Benefits If Your Prognosis Improves

You must meet strict criteria to get Pittsburgh disability benefits. These include proving:

You have a disability so severe that it keeps you from working, and you will have this impairment for at least a year.

Your impairment will likely lead to your death.

There are generally two ways for people with disabilities to prove they have a qualifying impairment. This includes:

Meeting a qualifying impairment as listed in the Blue Book or
Proving you are disabled based on your residual functional capacity (RFC)

Based on these qualifications, it may be possible to provide medical evidence to show you suffer from a disabling condition that has lasted or will last for a year or more, even if your doctor gives you an optimistic prognosis.

For example, imagine you have cancer and are undergoing treatment. Your illness and treatments may sideline you for a year or more, even if the treatments work and improve your health.

Why It Is Important to Work With a Medical Professional for a Disability

It is critical that you meet the SSA’s definition of a disability. To ensure we can firmly establish why you need Social Security benefits, we will need medical evidence, which your doctor can provide. This is why it is important to work with your doctors on a Social Security case.

They can document and explain how severe your condition is and connect you with other medical professionals who can provide the proper treatment. They can also show how your medical condition affects your quality of life. Your medical records have important information including:

Your medical history
The timeline over which your diagnosis unfolded
The medications you take and therapies you receive
Your treatment plans and your progress with each

Understanding Continuing Disability Reviews

If your prognosis is positive, you can expect to only receive disability until your condition improves. This is because of the process of continuing disability reviews (CDR). Depending on the nature and severity of your impairment, the SSA will review your qualifications with varying frequency.

In general:

SSA will review your qualifications between six and 18 months after your award if your medical records show improvement is expected.
SSA will review your case about every three years if improvement is possible.
SSA will review your case about every seven years if it does not expect you to improve.

For example, you may qualify for disability benefits if you are going to have an organ transplant or recently underwent a transplant. If you meet the criteria listed in the SSA’s Blue Book, you may get approved for SSDI. As a part of this listing, the Social Security Administration will review your case one year later. If your condition or its residuals still prevent you from working, you may continue to get disability.

Of course, if your condition improves, the SSA will likely stop your disability benefits since you no longer meet the qualifications. In this way, it may seem like you are receiving “temporary” disability benefits. However, the Social Security Administration does not use this terminology or considers benefits as assistance for a temporary disability.

Berger and Green Will Fight for Your Social Security Disability Benefits

Getting benefits based on a condition that is likely to improve may be more difficult, depending on your individual circumstances. The disability examiner handling your case must see proof in your medical evidence that you meet an impairment listing in the Blue Book and/or that you cannot work because of your condition. They will also need to see proof that your disability has lasted a year or will likely last a year.

The team of Social Security Disability attorneys from Berger and Green will ensure the SSA has the information it needs about your medical providers. We can file your application to ensure it includes the correct information and file. Call our Pittsburgh office today to get started.

Contact one of our area Social Security Disability lawyers today to learn more:

Call Us About Your Social Security Claim and Disability Assistance – Free Consultation

In general, you cannot get temporary Social Security Disability or SSI benefits. The federal government does not offer disabled workers temporary benefits or temporary disability insurance. Still, if you have a temporary impairment, you could still meet the criteria to get disability benefits.

In Pittsburgh, let the team from Berger and Green evaluate your case and complete and file your disability benefits application. If you have received a denial letter about an initial application from the SSA, it is not necessarily the end of the road for your claim. We can lead your disability appeals process. Call us today for your free case review.