Back Impairment and Disability Benefits Attorneys
It’s hard to find anyone who has not experienced some form of back impairment, ranging from minor pain and discomfort to debilitating conditions that interfere with daily activities, including the ability to earn a living. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may qualify for disability benefits through Social Security for back impairment.
GCC Law Firm has helped people with all types of disabling physical and mental health conditions obtain disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. We understand that disability benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration have strict standards, which is why fewer than one-third of the applications submitted annually are approved.
Successful disability claims for back impairment typically begin by scheduling an appointment with your doctor for a physical examination and diagnostic testing to establish a diagnosis of the condition. One of the back impairment disability attorneys at GCC Law can review the diagnosis and treatment plan recommended by your doctor and explain your options to receive disability benefits.
Disability Programs Paying Benefits When You Cannot Work Due To Back Impairment
The SSI and SSDI programs provide disability benefits to people with back impairment, but each has its own eligibility guidelines. Money for the SSDI program comes from the Social Security Trust Fund, so you must have worked and paid into the system through Social Security payroll taxes on your income, but the work history must be long enough and recent enough for you to be eligible for the program.
Work credits determine whether you meet the work test for SSDI eligibility. The Social Security Administration annually determines the wages required for a worker to earn a work credit. Currently, you earn a work credit for each $1,810 in wages up to a maximum of four credits per year.
Some of the work credits must be recently earned. For example, a worker who becomes disabled before age 27 needs to have earned 12 credits from the time they were 21. Your GCC Law disability attorney reviews your work history to determine whether your work history meets the SSDI requirements.
Individuals without a work history may qualify for back impairment disability benefits through the SSI program. However, eligibility for SSI is based on financial need, so it limits the income and resources you have available to you.
You Must Be Disabled According To A Federal Standard For SSI And SSDI Eligibility
The two disability benefit programs administered by Social Security require that you be disability according to a federal definition. You are disabled if a medically determinable physical or mental impairment prevents you from doing substantial gainful activity. The impairment or combination of impairments must be expected to result in death or to last for at least one year.
Neither SSI nor SSDI pays benefits for partial or short-term disability. If you develop back impairment that responds well to medication and physical therapy to allow you to return to work in less than one year, it would not qualify for benefits.
Qualifying for disability benefits for back impairment based on the Listing of Impairments
Applications for disability benefits undergo a five-step sequential evaluation process to determine whether the applicant is disabled according to the federal definition of disability. One of the steps uses the Listing of Impairments compiled by the Social Security Administration. It encompasses medical conditions deemed severe enough to meet the definition of disability and interfere with your ability to do work activities.
Section 1.00 contains listings for several disorders that may apply to disability claims for back impairment, including:
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Degenerative disc disease
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Fractures of spinal bones
- Osteoarthritis
- Arachnoiditis, a painful disorder resulting from inflammation of the membrane surrounding nerves of the spinal cord.
A condition must meet the criteria for a specific listing to be considered for a disability determination. For example, Section 1.15 states that disorders of the spine with compromised nerve roots require medical evidence demonstrating four separate categories of symptoms, including muscle fatigue or pain, along with muscle weakness, signs of nerve root irritation, and sensory changes.
Establishing A Claim For Disability Benefits For Back Impairment Requires Medical Documentation
It takes more than a diagnosis to approve disability claims for back impairment using the listings. The Social Security Administration requires objective medical evidence establishing the existence of a medically determinable disorder. Medical evidence includes notes of physical examinations, along with the doctor’s clinical findings and the results of diagnostic testing, such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.
Qualifying for back impairment disability by meeting a listed impairment can be challenging, but there is another option that may lead to the approval of a claim. The evaluation process assesses whether a back impairment prevents you from doing the type of work you did in the past or adjust to doing other types of work.
GCC Law Fights For The Disability Benefits You Need
When you cannot work because of a back impairment, there is too much at stake for you to take on the disability claim process on your own. Let the back impairment disability attorneys at the GCC Law Firm put their years of experience and knowledge of the disability benefits system to work for you. We handle it all for you, from gathering the necessary documentation to support your claim to ensuring that your application contains all the required information accurately and without mistakes or omissions throughout each step of the process.
If you filed an application on your own and it was not approved, let us review the claim to determine if the denial can be appealed. An appeal allows us to present new evidence in support of your claim that could turn a denial of benefits into an approval. Learn more by contacting us for a free consultation.
Call Our Illinois Back Impairment Disability Lawyers Today
At GCC Law Firm, our Illinois Back Impairment disability attorneys provide personalized, solutions-driven legal advocacy for clients. If your SSDI or SSI claim has been denied in Illinois, we can help. Contact us to schedule a free and completely confidential initial consultation, please contact our law firm today.
Call (479) 340-0002.