I’m seriously injured or sick. Do I qualify for Social Security Disability?
In order to qualify for disability benefits, you must be unable to perform work of any kind and your disability must be expected to last for at least one year or result in death. You must also have earned enough “credits” – at least 5 years of work in the 10 year period prior to the onset date for your disability. In addition, you must be fully insured under Social Security, which means you must have worked for 40 quarters (10 years). The 5 years of work prior to becoming disabled counts in calculating the 40 quarters. The SSA receives numerous applications for disability benefits. Because of the large volume of applications, it can take a long period of time to receive a decision.
