The Social Security Administration posts guidelines on their website as to what consitutes a Qualifying Disability for Social Security Disability eligibility. This is a list of the basics, for more information, visit their website or consult a lawyer specializing in Social Security Disability.
What SSA considers the definition of disability: The definition of disability under Social Security is different than other programs. The SSA pays only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability.
SSA considers you to have a qualifying disability if all the following are true:
• You cannot do work and engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of your medical condition.
• You cannot do work you did previously or adjust to other work because of your medical condition.
• Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
This is the Social Security Administration’s “strict definition” of disability. SSA states on their webpage that “Social Security program rules assume that working families have access to other resources to provide support during periods of short-term disabilities, including workers’ compensation, insurance, savings, and investments.”
For more, please visit their website page on How You Qualify.
