Social Security Benefits

Social Security Disability benefits are available to disabled individuals who meet the Social Security Administration’s requirements:

• The SSA defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death.
• Do you have a physical or mental impairment that prevents you from working, whether at your past job or at any job?
• Has this disability lasted, or is expected to last, for at least one year?
• Is this disability life-threatening?
• Check the SSA’s List of Impairments to see if your disability is listed. Even if it is not, the SSA will look at your disability to see if it is as severe as those on the list.
• The SSA also looks at your work history.
• Have you earned enough to qualify for this benefit?
• Working for as little as five of the last ten years may be enough to qualify.

If you meet the above requirements, you should be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. Unfortunately, about 60% of claims are initially denied. If you or a loved one applied and have had disability benefits denied, you have only 60 days from the date on the denial letter to file your request for an appeal.

Reeder Murphy P.C. invites you to contact us online or by phone at (616) 458-3994 to schedule a free consultation.

Corporate officers and self-employed individuals who apply for Social Security retirement benefits are subject to thorough questioning. The SSA will investigate your actual work activity and level of financial control of business earnings. Failure to properly plan can result in being denied retirement benefits or having your monthly benefits cut.

Our Social Security specialists help corporate officers and self-employed individuals obtain their maximum Social Security Retirement benefits. Before you begin the process of applying for SSA retirement benefits, we invite you to contact us online or by phone at (616) 458-3994 to schedule a consultation so that we can help you receive the full benefits you’ve earned.