Allsup Inc., the nation's leading Social Security disability representation company, researched and answered one of the most common questions about disability and Social Security.
Belleville -- June 11, 2007 -- Allsup Inc., a company that specializes in Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applications, is now providing some free advice on some common questions about disability and Social Security. One of the top questions is "What makes someone eligible for benefits?"
Calendar quarters, qualifying quarters, fully insured and currently insured. These are some of the many technical terms people may hear in the SSDI application process. Understanding them gives people a more solid footing in applying for the benefits they need--and have already paid for.
The answer to "am I eligible for benefits?" comes in two parts. The first is have they worked long enough and recently enough? The second is--are they disabled?
Whether a disability meets the Social Security Administration's standards can only be determined on a case-by-case basis, but the more basic qualifications are easier to explain.
In order to fulfill the basic qualification in applying for SSDI a person must be both "currently insured" and "fully insured."
Let's explain what currently insured means first.
In 2007 if someone earns $1000, they have just "bought a quarter." A person can get up to four quarters in each calendar year. For someone to be currently insured they must have 20 quarters in the past 10 years. A simple way to explain this is working five out of the last 10 years; however they would also be currently insured if they earned two quarters each year for the last 10 years.
There are special qualifying parameters for people under age 31 who become disabled. They may be currently insured with less than 20 quarters of coverage.
Bottom line--a person can only earn 4 quarters a year and they need 20 quarters in the last 10 years to be currently insured.
In addition to being currently insured a person must also be fully insured to be able to apply for disability benefits.
There are two ways to determine if someone is fully insured.
The first is do they have 40 quarters of coverage? If they do they are fully insured.
The second way to be fully insured is to have six quarters of coverage plus one quarter of coverage for each year after the year they reach the age of 21.
So to be able to be considered for SSDI, a person must be both currently insured and fully insured. Allsup's SSDI experts are always available to help figure all this out.
Press Contact:
Dan Allsup
800-854-1418 x5760