Approximately 23% of residents in Illinois suffer from some form of medical disability. The disabilities usually cost the state approximately $32.8billion per year in healthcare-related costs, translating to roughly 33% of the state’s total healthcare expenditure. It means that the state spends nearly $19,000 on every disabled person every year.
A high number of disabled individuals also deal with either cognitive or mobility issues. Unfortunately, only 3.5% of all disabled individuals in Illinois receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI).
If you are disabled and cannot work, you may be eligible to receive SSDI. To qualify, your disability must meet certain requirements. Here is everything you need to know about Social Security local to Illinois.
How Do I Qualify for Social Security Disability in Illinois?
To qualify for SSDI in Illinois, you must be medically disabled and have enough work credits. The work credits are usually earned by paying into Social Security through payroll taxes.
You will need to have worked for a certain amount of time and recently to qualify. The amount of work credits needed depends on your age.
For instance, if you are younger than 24, you may only need one credit equal to $1,300 in earnings. However, if you are disabled at 62 or older, you may need as many as 40 credits.
Your medical condition must also meet certain requirements to be considered a disability. Social Security has a strict definition of disability. For your condition to be considered a disability it:
- Must prevent you from doing work that you did before
- Must be projected to last for more than one year or result in death
- Must prevent you from doing any other type of substantial work
If your medical condition does not meet all three of these requirements, you will not be considered disabled. However, just because your disability does not meet this criterion, it does not necessarily preclude you from receiving benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a five-step process to determine if you are disabled.
- Are you working?
- Is your condition severe?
- Does your condition meet or equal a listing in the SSA’s impairment listing?
- Can you do the work you did before?
- Can you do any other type of work?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may not be considered disabled. Once you are approved for disability benefits in Illinois, your local Social Security office will determine the monthly disability benefit amount you deserve and advise you on when to expect your first benefit check.
What Types of Conditions Qualify for Social Security Disability in Illinois?
Your medical condition must meet certain requirements to qualify for Social Security Disability in Illinois. The SSA uses a listing of impairments, also known as the blue book, to determine if your condition is severe enough to qualify you for disability benefits.
The Blue Book is divided into two sections, adult and child listings. If you are 18 years or older, you must meet the adult listings requirements. If you are a child under the age of 18, your condition must meet the requirements in the child listings.
The listings for each section are divided into categories based on body systems. Each listing has specific criteria that must be met for your condition to be considered severe enough to qualify for disability.
The adult listings include cardiovascular system issues, cancer, neurological disorders, immune system disorders, endocrine disorders, skin disorders, respiratory disorders, etc. Child listings include mental disorders, cancer, respiratory disorders, immune system disorders, endocrine disorders, and special senses/speech.
As previously stated, if your condition is not listed in the blue book, you can still be approved for disability benefits if your condition is equally severe to a listed condition, medically equivalent to one of the listed conditions or a combination of impairments that are medically equivalent to listed condition.
To be considered medically equivalent to a listing, your impairment must meet all the criteria in the listing or be as severe as the criteria in the listing.
To be considered a combination of impairments that are medically equivalent to a listing, the combination of your impairments must be of equal severity and duration to the listed condition.
If you are unsure if your medical condition meets the requirements for a listing, you can contact your local Illinois Social Security office for help or consult with a disability attorney.
What If I Cannot Meet the Requirements for a Listing?
If you cannot meet the requirements for a listing, the SSA will consider your residual functional capacity (RFC) when deciding on your disability claim. Your RFC is what you can do physically, mentally and socially despite your limitations.
To determine your RFC, the SSA will review your medical records and may also send you to be examined by one of their doctors. The doctor will complete a physical or mental RFC assessment that will be used to help decide on your disability claim.
If the SSA finds that you cannot perform any of the jobs you have held in the past 15 years, they will approve your disability claim. Your claim will be denied if the SSA finds that you can perform a different job.
How Can I Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits in Illinois?
The easiest way to apply for SSDI benefits in Illinois is online at ssa.gov/benefits/disability. You will be required to create an account and answer questions about your work history, medical conditions and other relevant information.
You can also apply for SSDI benefits by calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to set up an appointment at your local Illinois Social Security office. You can also visit your local office in person to complete an application.
If you are applying for SSDI benefits on behalf of a child, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to set up an appointment at your local Illinois Social Security office or visit your local office in person to complete an application.
What If My Application for Social Security Disability Is Denied?
If your initial application for SSDI benefits is denied, you have the right to file an appeal. You must file your appeal within 60 days of receiving your denial notice.
You can file your appeal online at ssa.gov/disability/appeal, by calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local Illinois Social Security office.
If you decide to appeal your denied claim, you will have several options for handling your appeal. You can request a hearing before an administrative law judge, submit new evidence and ask that your claim be reconsidered, or request a review by the Appeals Council.
If you decide to have a hearing before an administrative law judge, you will be given a date for your hearing that is usually within 75 miles of your home.
At your hearing, you will have the opportunity to present new evidence and testimony to support your claim. You may also bring witnesses to testify on your behalf.
If you decide to have your claim reconsidered, the SSA will review your file and any new evidence you have submitted. Your claim will be reviewed by someone who did not make the original decision on your claim.
If you decide to request a review by the Appeals Council, the council will review your file and any new evidence you have submitted. The Appeals Council can decide to approve, deny, or return your claim to an administrative law judge for a hearing.
If you are still not happy with the decision made on your appeal, you can file a lawsuit in federal district court.
It is important to note that if you decide to appeal your denied claim, you will continue to receive disability benefits if you have been found to be disabled by the SSA.
Get Help Filing for Social Security Disability in Illinois
If you need help filing for SSDI benefits in Illinois, you can contact a local disability attorney or advocate. A disability attorney or advocate can help you complete your application and appeal denied claims.
You can also get help filing for SSDI benefits by contacting the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services. The Division of Rehabilitation Services can help you if you are a person with a disability who needs assistance in finding and keeping a job.
Legal Giant Is Here for You
At Legal Giant, we have a team of experienced Social Security disability attorneys who can help you with your SSDI claim in Illinois.
If you have been denied benefits, we can help you file an appeal. We have a success rate of over 98 percent for our clients who have gone through the appeals process.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation. We will review your claim and let you know if we can help. There is no obligation to use our services, and we only get paid if we win your case.
Contact us today and let us help you get the disability benefits you deserve.
