How to Insure Your Income: Determining Eligibility

Eligibility for disability income benefits from Social Security requires the following:

• you have fully insured and disability insured status;
• you are under age 65;
• the disability is expected to last for at least 12 months and/or end in death; and
• you have satisfied a five-month elimination period followed by submission of an application for benefits.

The under age 65 requirement is due to the fact that, at age 65, any disability benefits being paid become retirement benefits.

In addition to age and status requirements, a worker also must satisfy the Social Security definition of total disability. Total disability is defined as:

The inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determined physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or last for at least 12 months.

This definition is very restrictive. It obviously eliminates benefits for any short-term disability or a relatively insignificant, non-life-threatening disability. In addition, you must be unable to perform the duties of your present job and unable to perform the duties of any job relative to prior education and training.

Note that these requirements do not relate to prior economic status. Theoretically, an individual with a $150,000 annual income who has suffered a total disability may be unable to collect Social Security benefits if there are jobs available for this person -- relative to education and prior training or experience.

Generally, an application for benefits will be filed sometime during the fifth month of disability, because there is a five-month elimination or waiting period. Claims applications may be submitted retroactively up to 12 months after the onset of the disability.