What Makes Your Client Eligible

Your clients may be eligible to receive SSDI if they:

• Have worked in jobs covered by Social Security
• Have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability

Disability

The Benefit Screening Tool (BEST)

Your client will be considered disabled under Social Security if he/she cannot do the work that he/she did before and Social Security decides that he/she cannot adjust to other work because of his/her medical condition(s). Your client's disability must also last or be expected to last for at least one year or result in death. Click here for the Social Security Administration's definition of disability.

Social Security uses a step-by-step process involving the following five questions:

1. Is your client's condition "severe"?
   The disability must prevent your client from conducting substantial gainful work-related activities for the claim to be considered. If it does not, your client will not be considered disabled.
   
   
2. Is your client's condition found in the list of disabling impairments?
   Social Security maintains a list of impairments for each of the major body systems that are so severe they automatically mean a person is disabled. If your client's condition is not on the list, Social Security will have to decide if it is of equal severity to one on the list. If it is, your client will be found disabled.
   
   
3. Can your client do work he/she did previously?
   If your client's condition is severe, but not at the same or equal severity as an impairment on the list maintained by Social Security, Social Security must then determine whether it interferes with your client's ability to do the work he/she did before the disability.
   
   
4. Can your client do any other type of work?
   If your client cannot do the work he/she did in the past, Social Security will try to determine if he/she can adjust to other work. Social Security will consider the following:
   
   • Your client's medical conditions
   • Your client's age
   • Your client's education
   • Your client's past/current work experience and any transferable skills he/she may have

To receive SSDI, your client's disability must be expected to last at least one year or result in death. Your client may receive benefits for a 1-year, 3-year or 7-year period before SSA requests a disability review of his/her disability determination.

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The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST)

The Social Security Administration has made it easier for your clients to find out if they are eligible for Social Security benefits. The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) is a tool your clients can use to find out if they could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers.

This tool will give your clients eligibility information based on answers they provide to the questions on http://best.ssa.gov/index.cfm. However, it is important to note that BEST is not an application for benefits and:

• Will not give your clients an estimate of benefit amounts
• Does not know, or ask for, your client's name or Social Security number
• Does not access your client's Social Security records