DISABILITY SURVIVAL GUIDE: NORTH ALABAMA EDITION

Why are you having such a hard time getting Social Security disability ? There could be many reasons, but let's look a few of the most common ones: You may be covered.  SSDI benefits do not cover everyone.  Only workers who have worked a qualifying job and earned a sufficient number of " work credits " are insured for SSDI.  Those who never worked, or who haven't worked in recent years, may not have coverage.  So, no coverage, no benefits. You may not be disabled under the Social Security rules .  Everybody has their own definition of "disability," and Social Security has the strictest rules in the world.  As a baseline, your condition must be so severe that it makes it impossible for you to work AND it must have lasted for at least 12 straight months OR is expected to end in death. You don't have concrete objective medical evidence .  There must be a mountain of objective medical evidence to demonstrate the severity of your impairment(s).  It is...

What are the odds of winning Social Security disability benefits with a lawyer's assistance? 57 percent in Alabama . 57 percent of claimants in Alabama will be approved for Social Security disability when using a lawyer or competent advocate. However, that's not immediate approval.  Most claims will be denied at the application level.  In fact, only 22 percent of claims are approved at the early application level. The 57 percent approval rate comes at the third step of the process--at a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge . How long does it take to get from the initial filing to the judge?  The time will vary from case to case but you may be looking at 18 to 24 months. Hearings are legal proceedings and very complex.  They aren't like most claimants imagine.  The claimant has a specific burden of proof that must be supported by objective medical evidence .  The claimant must show that he/she is disabled under the rules and regulations of the Social ...

 WHAT CONDITIONS QUALIFY FOR AUTOMATIC DISABILITY IN AL? Very few conditions automatically qualify for Social Security benefits anywhere.  There are a few exceptions:  1.  One of the more than 200 impairments on the Compassionate Allowances list will qualify with appropriate medical documentation.  https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/conditions.htm  2.  End stage renal disease 3.     Stage 4 Cancer (in most cases)   4. Any terminal illness . All impairments/conditions must have a definite diagnosis by an " acceptable medical source ," which usually means a licensed Doctor of Medicine , Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine , or a similarly qualified professional. It is helpful to obtain doctor's records where the condition was diagnosed--and submit them with your claim.  Include any diagnostic tests that identified the disease-- MRI reports , CT  reports, lab tests or biopsy results , etc.   The medical evidence ...

Yes, you may collect Social Security disability if your spouse or someone else living in your household works.  It doesn't matter how much money they earn. The only restriction for SSDI benefits is that the claimant cannot be working at " Substantial Gainful Activity " or SGA .  In 2025, you are working at SGA level if you earn gross monthly wages of at least $1,620 per month.  (In 2024 that amount was $1,550 per month; it's adjusted annually for inflation). Social Security disability is not needs-based or income restricted.  You don't need to be poor or have limited finances to get SSDI benefits.   (Don't confuse SSDI with Supplemental Security Income or SSI , which does have severe financial restrictions). With SSDI, you may have large savings, bank accounts or investments--as long as you (the claimant) is not working. SSDI looks only at the claimant's income--and only to see if the income is from work activity (wages, salary, commissions or self emp...