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The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes certain straightforward disability scenarios that consistently receive approval without complications. The reality, however, is that most applicants face circumstances that don’t neatly fit into these clear-cut situations. Your disability claim carries distinct characteristics that set it apart from every other application the SSA reviews.
If you are unable to work due to disability, you need legal representation from someone who grasps the nuances of your situation and commits to supporting you throughout the process, from completing and submitting applications to the social security disability appeals process when initial denials occur. Gordon, Wolf & Carney is an award-winning boutique firm that has been delivering big results for over 25 years.
Trusting Gordon, Wolf & Carney to Secure Your Benefits
The attorneys at Gordon, Wolf & Carney bring extensive experience as Baltimore Social Security Disability lawyers, shepherding clients through every phase of the benefits application and appeals process. Our legal team possesses more than 100 years of collective experience helping disabled individuals navigate the intricate procedures required to obtain benefits. We have represented thousands of people with disabilities and successfully recovered more than $1 billion for our clients throughout Maryland.
Social Security Administration (SSA) Listing of Impairments
The SSA publishes a comprehensive document, the Listing of Impairments, commonly referred to as the “Blue Book,” that catalogs medical conditions that automatically qualify as disabling when they meet specific severity criteria. Each listing includes detailed medical findings, laboratory values, and functional limitations that must be documented in your records.
Meeting or medically equaling a listed impairment expedites approval because the SSA has predetermined that conditions at these severity levels prevent work activity. The Listing of Impairments encompasses 14 major body systems:
- Musculoskeletal system disorders that affect bones, joints, and soft tissues.
- Special senses and speech impairments involving vision, hearing, and communication.
- Respiratory disorders impairing breathing and oxygen exchange.
- Cardiovascular system conditions affecting heart function and circulation.
- Digestive system disorders impacting gastrointestinal processes.
- Genitourinary disorders affecting the kidneys and urinary function.
- Hematological disorders that involve the blood and lymphatic systems.
- Skin disorders, including chronic infections and burns.
- Endocrine disorders such as diabetes and thyroid dysfunction.
- Congenital disorders present from birth.
- Neurological disorders that affect the brain, spine, and nervous system.
- Mental disorders, including cognitive and emotional impairments.
- Cancer of any body system.
- Immune system disorders, including autoimmune conditions.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) vs. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
The key difference between the programs is how eligibility is determined: SSDI is an earned benefit for workers who paid Social Security taxes and accumulated enough work credits before becoming disabled, while SSI is based on financial need. SSI operates as a needs-based program serving disabled individuals with limited income and resources, regardless of whether they ever worked.
Both programs require meeting the SSA’s medical disability definition. Still, they differ completely in how they determine who qualifies and in how they calculate monthly payment amounts.
SSI Eligibility
Meeting SSI requirements demands satisfying the SSA’s strict disability definition. It defines disability as the inability to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to a medically determinable physical or mental impairment expected to persist for a minimum of 12 months or result in death.
Beyond the medical standard, your financial situation must demonstrate that income and resources, encompassing cash holdings, bank balances, investments, and other countable assets, remain below the SSA’s established thresholds.
The program sets resource limits at $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples, excluding your primary residence and one vehicle. Income limits vary based on your living arrangements and the types of income you receive, with the SSA applying various exclusions and deductions before determining countable income.
SSDI Eligibility
Individuals seeking SSDI must have a qualifying medically determinable impairment satisfying the SSA’s duration requirement, meaning medical evidence establishes the condition will persist for one year or longer or proves terminal. Unlike SSI’s income and resource evaluation, SSDI eligibility hinges on work credits accumulated through Social Security-covered employment.
The required number of credits fluctuates depending on your age when disability begins. However, adults generally need 40 total credits with 20 earned during the 10-year period immediately preceding disability onset. Younger workers may qualify with fewer credits based on formulas in 20 CFR § 404.130 that account for limited time in the workforce before disability occurred.
Can You Qualify for SSI and SSDI at the Same Time?
Some individuals qualify for both SSDI and SSI simultaneously when their SSDI monthly payment falls below the federal SSI benefit rate, and they meet SSI’s strict income and resource requirements. The SSA designates those receiving payments from both programs as “concurrent beneficiaries.”
When calculating your SSI payment amount, the SSA counts your SSDI benefit as unearned income, reducing your SSI payment dollar-for-dollar after applying the first $20 general income exclusion. Concurrent beneficiaries gain access to both Medicare through SSDI, after a 24-month waiting period, and Medicaid through SSI in most states, providing comprehensive healthcare coverage.
How Much Are Social Security Disability Benefits?
Monthly benefit amounts vary significantly depending on which program you qualify for and on individual factors that affect payment calculations. SSDI payments range widely based on your lifetime earnings history, with the national average around $1,550. However, some recipients receive substantially more or less depending on their work record.
SSI provides a standard federal payment of $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples (for 2026), subject to reductions based on other countable income you receive. Some states, including Maryland, supplement federal SSI payments with additional amounts. Our attorneys help you estimate your expected benefits and identify factors that may increase or decrease your monthly payment.
Requirements For Proof Of Disability
The Social Security Administration employs a five-step sequential evaluation process under 20 CFR §§ 404.1520 and 416.920 to determine whether an applicant meets disability criteria. Unless medical evidence shows the impairment will prove fatal, documentation must establish that the condition has already persisted or will continue for an uninterrupted 12-month period.
Applicants must demonstrate the following elements to receive a disability finding:
Substantial Gain Activity (SGA)
The SSA evaluates whether you engage in substantial gainful activity, defined as work involving significant physical or mental duties that produce earnings above $1,690 monthly in 2026 for non-blind individuals ($2,830 for statutorily blind individuals). Work activity generating income at or above these thresholds typically results in claim denial regardless of medical severity.
Severity of Medical Condition
Your medical records must demonstrate an impairment or combination of impairments classified as severe, meaning they substantially limit your capacity to perform fundamental work activities, including standing, walking, lifting, carrying, sitting, remembering, following instructions, and maintaining concentration.
Qualifying Condition
The evidence must show your impairment satisfies or medically equals one of the conditions described in the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. If your condition matches the listing criteria, the SSA approves benefits without proceeding to the remaining evaluation steps.
Inability to Return to Previous Work
When your impairment fails to meet listing criteria, the SSA determines whether your residual functional capacity, the maximum work activities you can still perform despite limitations, permits you to return to past relevant work you performed during the previous 15 years.
Inability to Adjust to Another Type of Work
If you cannot perform past work, the SSA evaluates whether other jobs within your residual functional capacity exist in significant numbers nationally, factoring in your age, educational background, and transferable skills from previous employment.
Why Do You Need a Baltimore Social Security Disability Lawyer?
When disability resulting from injury, mental health conditions, or physical illness prevents you from working, you need legal representation committed to fighting for the benefits you have earned and deserve.
At Gordon, Wolf & Carney, we dedicate our practice to advocating for people with disabilities who need help securing financial support. We bring comprehensive knowledge and experience regarding Social Security benefits procedures.
Navigating the Claims Process
Understanding the disability claims process requires specialized knowledge, as it involves complex regulations and confusing procedural requirements. Statistics show that more than half of initial disability applications are denied, and most are rejected a second time at reconsideration before receiving a fair opportunity to present their case to an administrative law judge. You need representation from someone who possesses a thorough command of these processes.
Thorough Case Assessment
Your legal representative can assess whether your case requires additional supporting evidence, such as vocational expert opinions, psychological testing, or updated medical evaluations that strengthen your claim.
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Hearings
Determined legal advocacy gets your case scheduled before an administrative law judge with comprehensive medical opinions from your treating physicians that clearly establish your functional limitations. We attend every hearing and submit all necessary documentation and testimony required to obtain approval for your application.
No Fees Unless We Win
You face zero financial risk. We handle every claim on a contingency fee basis, meaning you incur no financial risk and pay nothing upfront for our services. Attorney fees come only from successful benefit recovery, taken as a percentage of your past-due benefits, subject to federal caps that protect you from excessive charges.
Handling Denied Claims
When the SSA denies your application, experienced legal counsel can identify errors in statements and documentation, correct these deficiencies, and resubmit corrected materials into the evaluation process while managing all aspects of your appeal.
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Free ConsultationCommon Reasons the SSA Denies Disability Claims
Understanding the most frequent grounds for claim denials helps you avoid preventable mistakes that lead to unfavorable decisions. Many denials result from correctable application deficiencies rather than legitimate conclusions that you don’t meet disability criteria.
Our Baltimore SSDI attorneys review your case for potential weaknesses and address them proactively before filing your application. Common denial reasons include:
Inadequate Medical Documentation
The SSA cannot approve claims lacking sufficient objective medical evidence, including diagnostic test results, clinical findings, treatment records, and physician assessments of your functional restrictions. Your records must contain concrete proof rather than relying solely on subjective symptom complaints.
Non-Compliance with Treatment
Failing to follow prescribed medical treatment without a valid justification leads the SSA to conclude that your condition will improve with proper care. You must either adhere to recommended therapies or provide compelling explanations, such as inability to afford treatment, religious objections, or medical contraindications.
Insufficient Duration
Conditions expected to resolve within 12 months fail to meet the SSA’s duration requirement regardless of current severity. Your medical records must establish that the impairment has lasted for at least 1 year, or a medical opinion must confirm that it will continue for at least 12 months.
Earnings Above SGA
Working while applying for disability benefits can affect your eligibility by raising questions about your ability to engage in SGA. Generally, monthly earnings over $1,690 lead to denial unless special circumstances show that limited work attempts do not reflect your true capacity for sustained employment.
Technical Eligibility Issues
SSDI applicants who lack sufficient work credits or SSI applicants with excess income or resources receive denials based on technical ineligibility rather than on medical factors. We verify that you satisfy all program requirements before filing your application.
Incomplete Applications
Missing information, unsigned forms, or insufficient descriptions of functional limitations create grounds for denial. We ensure your application thoroughly documents every aspect of your social security disability claim.
Drug or Alcohol Issues
When evidence suggests substance abuse contributes materially to your disability, the SSA may deny your social security disability claim by concluding you will not be disabled if you stopped using drugs or alcohol.
Contact a Reputable Baltimore Social Security Disability Lawyer
Gordon, Wolf & Carney has devoted decades to helping workers throughout Maryland, securing the disability benefits they earned through years of employment. Don’t risk being part of the 60–70 percent of initial claim denials by going it alone, and don’t accept a denial letter without having our attorneys review it.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Baltimore Social Security Disability lawyer at Gordon, Wolf & Carney who will evaluate your circumstances, explain your options, and begin fighting for the benefits that can stabilize your financial situation during your disability.
