Lincoln, AR Social Security Disability Lawyer

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can help those with disabilities who desperately need financial support to cover their expenses while out of work. While applying for these benefits can be challenging, our lawyers can walk you through the application process and how to be approved.

Qualifying for SSDI benefits generally depends on the medical condition you are claiming and your work history. Virtually only the medical conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be eligible, but the condition can be either physical or mental. Your work history will be assessed by how many work credits you earned during that time. Most applicants need 40 work credits to be eligible but might qualify with less if they are younger. Disabled workers under 30 often cannot have not built up the 40 credits to qualify normally, so the threshold is typically lower for them. Our attorneys can also explain how to maintain your benefits once you receive them.

Call our Social Security disability attorneys today at (479) 316-0438 to get your claim evaluated for free.

How to Qualify and Maintain Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits in Lincoln, AR

SSDI benefits are generally available to people with medical conditions that prevent them from working. However, qualifying for SSDI benefits is notoriously challenging, as it involves several steps that often require extensive evidence before a claim is approved. Our Social Security disability lawyers can gather the evidence you need to prove to the SSA that you have a qualifying medical condition deserving of benefits. Our team can also assess the work credits you have earned throughout employment and how to keep your benefits once approved.

Qualifying Your Medical Condition

We typically evaluate your medical condition before focusing on the other requirements you must meet to get SSDI benefits. The SSA provides a comprehensive list of conditions that will qualify and what you must submit to substantiate them. Conditions range from physical disorders to mental health conditions, so the injuries need not be physical to qualify. What records you must submit with your application will depend on the nature of your condition.

Some medical conditions, like most forms of cancer, will almost certainly qualify if the other requirements are met. Cardiovascular conditions, like heart disease and hypertension, can also qualify. Immune system disorders, like HIV and AIDS, will typically qualify if they keep the applicant from working.

Qualifying a medical condition will usually be more challenging when claiming a mental disorder. For instance, you will need significant documentation of symptoms like anxiety, apprehension, panic attacks, and fatigue if you are claiming an anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, like generalized anxiety disorder or agoraphobia. On the other hand, claims for neurocognitive disorders, like Alzheimer’s or schizophrenia spectrum disorders, might be more straightforward since they are often heavily documented.

Medical evidence in mental disorder applications must also come from SSA-approved medical sources, like your physician, psychologist, or licensed social worker. However, you, your family, and others you know will also be permitted to submit relevant evidence regarding how your mental disorder impacts your daily functioning.

Assessing Your Number of Work Credits

After assessing your medical condition qualifications, we can determine if you have the requisite number of work credits to get benefits. You can only earn work credits by being employed for a certain period of time and contributing to Social Security regularly through your paycheck. In 2024, you get one work credit for every $1,730 in wages you earn in a quarter of the year. You can earn a maximum of four work credits per year, which equates to $6,920 earned under the current amount. However, the amount needed to earn a work credit increases each year to match inflation, with the minimum amount per work credit set to increase to $1,810 in 2025.

You typically need 40 work credits to qualify for SSDI, with 20 of those credits being earned in the ten years preceding the year you became disabled. However, younger workers can usually qualify with fewer credits. If the claimant is younger than 24, they will be eligible if they earned six credits three years before the year being diagnosed. Applicants aged 24 to 30 might be eligible if they worked half the time between the age of 21 and the year the disability began. In some cases, the claimant’s parents’ work credits might be used to supplement the count.

Staying Below the Substantial Gainful Activity Line

Contrary to what you might hear or read, you do not need to be completely unable to work to qualify for SSDI. However, if your income exceeds the “substantial gainful activity” line, you might have to submit to a trial work period, jeopardizing your continued benefits. In 2024, the non-blind can earn up to $1,550 per month, and the blind can earn as much as $2,590 monthly.

However, the SSA also increases these amounts annually. In 2025, the non-blind can earn up to $1,620 monthly, and the blind can earn a maximum of $2,700. If your monthly income exceeds these limits, the SSA will likely stop your benefits.

If you earn less than this a month in 2024 but over $1,110, you will trigger a trial work period. Those who can work nine total months out of 60 over this rate will consider the disability ended. In 2025, the monthly amount to trigger a trial work period increases to $1,160.

Complete Continuing Disability Reviews

In addition to keeping track of the SGA, the SSA usually requires continuing reviews to ensure eligibility. To keep your benefits, stay up to date with your medical treatment and keep detailed records.

The time the SSA will conduct a disability review depends on the medical conditions involved. If the condition is such that you are reasonably expected to improve within a year, your case might be reviewed every few months. Those with serious long-term conditions usually have their cases reviewed every few years.

Contact Our Social Security Disability Lawyers in Lincoln, AR Now for Help Qualifying for the Benefits You Deserve

For a free case review with our Social Security disability lawyers, contact us at (479) 316-0438.