If you live in the Harrison Arkansas area and have made the difficult decision to file for disability because you can no longer work even a simple, entry-level job, then you need to start the process by filing a disability application with Social Security.
When you call the toll free number or apply online, the Social Security Administration will ask you if you want to file for Title II disability (SSD), Title XVI Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both.
Be Aware: If you are over the age of 50, you should call our office at 870-741-8100 before you apply. There are special rules for those over 50 years of age that may apply. Not understanding these rules can ruin your case before you ever get started.
You should file for both SSD and SSI. If it turns out that you own assets, or have household income over the SSI limits, Social Security will determine that you are not eligible for SSI and you can still go forward with your SSD case.
For most people, SSD is a much better program because their monthly benefit will likely be more, you can own unlimited assets and household income will not disqualify you.
Also it’s better because with SSD you will eventually be eligible for Medicare as opposed to Medicaid, which is associated with SSI.
In order to qualify for SSD, however, you have to be “insured” for these benefits. This has nothing to do with health insurance, because SSD is, in fact, an insurance program. The premiums you pay arise from the FICA or self employment payroll taxes you have paid over the years.
Like any other type of insurance premium, your coverage will lapse when the premiums are not paid. In the case of SSD, under the best of circumstances, your coverage will run out in about 5 years after you stop working full time. However, it could be considerably shorter depending on your work history and earnings record.
Why You Need To Find Out Your Date Last Insured When Filing For Disability In Harrison Arkansas
The ultimate calculations are highly complex and beyond the scope of what we can cover here, but one very important bit of information you need to know when you file is your “date last insured” or “DLI” for SSD. Again, at most DLI will extend about 5 years after you stop working full time, but it could be sooner if your work history was not consistent.
This is very different than Social Security retirement coverage, which looks back at you lifetime work history. SSD only looks at the prior ten years. So, if you worked for 20 years from 1990 through 2010, your DLI would probably be sometime in 2015. If you become disabled in 2016 or 2017, you would not be eligible no matter what your physical condition might be now.
You can call the Harrison Arkansas SSA office 877-512-3851 and ask the clerk to provide your DLI. You’ll need to know this date because when you apply you need to make sure that your alleged onset date is before your DLI.
Be aware that SSA personnel sometimes give out incorrect information.
The point here is that you cannot assume that Social Security’s intake clerks will give you accurate information. We advise our clients to create a MySocialSecurity account and look for the DLI there. You should call the Harrison Arkansas Social Security Administration office at least twice to speak to two different intake clerks to confirm the accuracy of the DLI information given. Or go to the office in person and get a printout showing your DLI
When filing you need to always allege an onset date BEFORE the DLI and be firm if an SSA intake clerk questions your right to file for SSDI if the DLI has already passed.
If your initial Social Security Disability claim has been denied, be sure to contact an experienced Social Security Disability attorney in Harrison Arkansas. Our Harrison Arkansas SS Disability lawyer will be able to guide you through the steps of your disability appeal. These steps may include gathering and submitting additional evidence, getting medical opinions from your doctors, and reviewing your file to determine the best steps to take to win your appeal.
Social Security Disability law is complicated, and it’s understandable that you may have questions. Call us at 870-741-8100 today and get the opinion of a Social Security Disability lawyer in Harrison Arkansas about whether you should appeal your denied claim.