Benefits ease burden for the disabled

Social Security is with you throughout life’s journey. It’s here for you if the unexpected happens. It’s there for you when you finally stop working as well. It provides vital financial support to tens of millions of American workers, primarily through retirement benefits. But it’s also there for you if the unexpected happens and a serious medical condition stops you from working and being able to support yourself and your family.

In such cases, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits, which replace a portion of lost income when a worker becomes seriously disabled. Here are three key factors we use to determine if you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits:

• You must have a lasting medical condition so severe that it prevents you from doing the work that you did in the past or adjusting to other types of work.

• Your physical or mental impairment(s) must have lasted or be expected to last at least a year or result in death.

• You must have worked long enough — and recently enough — in jobs covered by Social Security.

To learn more about dis ability benefits, go to social security.gov/disability.

You become eligible for Social Security benefits by working and paying FICA taxes, which translate into Social Security “credits.” How many credits you need to receive disability benefits depends on how old you are when you become disabled.

Those who have not worked enough to qualify for Social Security benefits may be eligible for help through our Supplemental Security Income program.