Do I qualify for disability benefits?

You may qualify for disability benefits if you are not able to work due to a severe disability that is expected to last at least 12 months, or end in death. Other considerations include:

• Your age (under 65)
• If you have worked at least 5 of the past 10 years
• If you have been seeing a doctor who can provide medical records to back up your disability claim
• Whether you can do the work that you did prior to your disability
• Whether you can do any other type of work

Your disability must be included in the Social Security Disability Listings of Impairments. There is a wide variety of listings, including cardiovascular, mental disorders and immune system disorders. Each of the categories includes other criteria that must also be met for your disability to qualify.

If you are considering applying for disability, ask yourself whether you are severely disabled to the point where you will not be able to work for the next 12 months, and if there is no other line of work that you can do instead.