The Social Safety incapacity five-year rule permits folks to skip a required ready interval for receiving incapacity advantages if that they had beforehand obtained incapacity advantages, stopped gathering these advantages after which grew to become unable to work once more inside 5 years.
The Social Safety incapacity five-year rule makes the reapplication course of simpler for individuals who have labored intermittently however have a incapacity that, greater than as soon as inside 5 years, prevents them from working.
Right here’s what to learn about methods to qualify — and requalify — for Social Safety incapacity insurance coverage, or SSDI, advantages.
How do Social Safety incapacity advantages work?
SSDI advantages have strict guidelines round who qualifies. These embrace guidelines relating to how lengthy you will have been disabled, once you apply and the way lengthy you labored earlier than you grew to become unable to work because of a qualifying incapacity.
Usually, you’re entitled to incapacity advantages for those who meet the entire following necessities:
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You’ve got a qualifying incapacity. The Social Safety Administration, or SSA, defines incapacity as a “medically determinable bodily or psychological impairment” that has lasted or is anticipated to final at the very least 12 months. This situation should make you unable to do the work you probably did earlier than or another “substantial gainful work that exists within the nationwide financial system.” Totally different guidelines apply in case you are blind or making use of for survivors advantages.
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You apply for SSDI advantages earlier than your full retirement age. Full retirement age for Social Safety is the age at which an individual is entitled to 100% of their month-to-month Social Safety retirement profit. It ranges from 66 to 67. The SSA determines an individual’s full retirement age based mostly on their delivery 12 months.
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You labored for at the very least 5 of the ten years earlier than your incapacity. Social Safety awards folks “credit” after they work and pay Social Safety taxes. You may earn as much as 4 credit per 12 months of labor. SSDI advantages require 40 work credit to qualify, 20 of which you earned throughout the 10 years earlier than your incapacity. In 2023, you’ll obtain one credit score for every $1,640 of earnings, so that you’ll must earn at the very least $6,560 in 5 of 10 years to qualify. The SSA refers to qualifying with credit as being “insured” on your incapacity.
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You’ve got been disabled for 5 consecutive months. On account of this rule, you’ll obtain your first profit fee beginning within the sixth month after you you apply. Nonetheless, for those who’re discovered to have been eligible for SSDI advantages earlier because of incapacity onset, you’ll be able to obtain retroactive funds for as much as the earlier 12 months. And for those who beforehand obtained SSDI advantages throughout the previous 5 years, the SSDI five-year rule waives the five-month ready interval so you’ll be able to resume advantages instantly.
How a lot will I get from SSDI advantages?
Your incapacity profit fee from Social Safety depends upon your lifetime earnings. The SSA web site has a calculator to estimate your month-to-month profit fee.
How do I apply for incapacity advantages?
The SSA recommends making use of for incapacity advantages as quickly as you develop into disabled. Nonetheless, you might be able to obtain back-paid advantages for as much as the earlier 12 months.
You may assist another person apply for incapacity advantages with out being a certified consultant. You could must reply extra questions on your relationship to the profit recipient, and the recipient might want to electronically or bodily signal the appliance.