How to Get Financial Relief from Social Security Disability in Tucson
When you live in Tucson and you’re faced with a health impairment that prevents you from earning a living, Social Security Disability benefits should be one of the first options you consider to help stabilize your finances.
Before you start receiving these monthly payments, however, you must go through a rigorous application process. And before that, you need to get an idea of whether you qualify for disability benefits to begin with.
Qualifying for disability benefits in Tucson follows the same standards and procedures as everywhere in the U.S. You should ask yourself some basic questions:
- How long have I worked?
- How has my medical condition affected my ability to work?
- Does my condition meet Social Security’s definition of a “disability?”
There’s not one universal answer, making every case unique. Social Security seems like a mechanical bureaucracy, but in the end, it’s run by people who make judgment calls on every case along the way.
Finding an experienced guide can be a major advantage when you’re considering Social Security Disability benefits. The knowledgeable Tucson disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson Disability Law have been helping Arizonans over 45 years.
If you’re wondering whether you qualify for disability benefits and you live in the Tucson area, we can help. Give us a call today.
To Qualify for Disability Benefits in Tucson, Understand How Social Security Views Disability
People may think about a disability as a physical or mental health impairment that reduces your ability to function in a similar way as a typical healthy person.
Social Security, however, has a narrower view. The agency defines disability only by its impact on your ability to work.
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must show that your impairment:
- Prevents you from continuing in your current job
- Prevents you from doing any other type of work
- Will continue for at least a year, or will stay with you for the rest of your life
As the medical field has evolved and expanded its understanding of health problems since Social Security was established, the agency’s list of recognized, qualified impairments has grown, too.
This allows applicants with identifiable diagnoses an easier path toward gaining disability benefits.
The list, however, doesn’t account for every situation and every ailment, as new ones are discovered all the time, and some haven’t achieved full recognition by Social Security.
So Social Security views a disability as a work problem as much as a health problem. It provides some leeway for individuals whose symptoms don’t allow them to work but whose diagnosis isn’t on Social Security’s official list to collect benefits.
With all these nuances and complications, having an experienced Tucson disability attorney can improve your chances of securing benefits.
The Slepian Ellexson disability lawyer team takes pride in working with you on a personal level. We want to leave nothing unaddressed when it comes to explaining your medical conditions to Social Security.
We can help you collect medical records, talk to your doctors and other health care providers, and guide you through the paperwork to provide the answers Social Security looks for when approving an application.
Get the Slepian Ellexson Tucson disability lawyers to evaluate your case free of charge.
More Factors Impacting Your Qualifications for Social Security Disability in Tucson
Your medical condition is the largest determining factor when Social Security evaluates whether you qualify for disability benefits.
But it’s not the only one.
The application process looks at every aspect of your life and situation. Other factors to be aware of include:
Age. Age can play a big role in Social Security’s evaluation of your case. If you’re under 50, it can be more difficult to prove you cannot adjust to a different type of work that can accommodate your health condition. Once you reach 50, Social Security begins to relax this scrutiny under the assumption that you become more limited in your ability to transfer your skills or learn new ones—assumptions that can improve your chances of winning disability benefits.
Work History. To qualify for disability benefits, particularly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for workers, you must show you worked long enough—and paid enough into Social Security through payroll taxes. In most cases, Social Security requires an applicant to have at least 40 work credits with at least 20 earned in the last 10 years. In 2025, you receive a work credit for every $1,810 you earn with a limit of four credits earned each year.
Consistency of Treatment. A medical diagnosis may not be enough for Social Security to consider your case eligible for disability benefits in Tucson. Evaluators will also look for any gaps in your treatment history, whether that’s skipping medications or failing to follow through on a doctor-recommended therapy. An interruption in your course of treatment can lead to a denial letter.
Education. Social Security considers your highest education level when it looks at your ability to transition to another line of work.
To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits in Tucson requires a strong, evidence-based presentation of how your health and your work life intertwine.
At Slepian Ellexson, our Tucson disability attorneys know from deep experience what information influences Social Security’s decisions, and that expertise can serve you whether you’re applying or appealing a denial of benefits.
Let us walk you through your options, offer you some peace of mind, and start your journey to a better, more stable life.
