Are you a disabled individual in Maine who, because you can’t work, can’t earn enough money to pay for basics like food and shelter? You may qualify for disability benefits in Maine through the US Social Security Administration (SSA) if so. In addition, your employer may offer short-disability insurance or similar options.
The following overview will cover the basics of how to qualify for disability in Maine. However, it’s important to remember that every case is different. A legal professional can help you better understand your options during an initial consultation.
Understanding The Definition Of Disability In Maine
To qualify for SSA disability benefits in Maine, you need to have a condition that meets the SSA’s definition of a disability. According to the SSA, a disability can be either a physical or mental condition that is medically likely to last at least 12 months, result in death, or both.
A condition must also prevent someone from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) to qualify as a disability. Being unable to participate in SGA means you can’t earn a certain minimum income every month. As the cost of living increases, SGA also increases.
In 2024, a person who isn’t blind would be unable to participate in SGA if they can’t earn a minimum of $1,550 a month. For someone who is blind, SGA in 2024 is $2,590 per month.
What Disabling Conditions Qualify In Maine?
If you have questions regarding whether your condition qualifies as a disability, start by checking to see if there’s a listing for your condition in the SSA’s Blue Book. The Blue Book is an SSA resource listing over 200 conditions for which someone might receive disability benefits in Maine.
Blue Book listings also provide valuable information about meeting disability requirements in ME. In general, anyone seeking disability benefits will need to show that a condition limits their working ability. Depending on what types of benefits they’re seeking, they might also need to show they’ve earned sufficient work credits in the past to qualify for a given program.
Blue Book listings may get more specific, outlining the steps you should take when applying for benefits to boost your odds of receiving an approval. Be aware, that if you don’t find a Blue Book listing for your specific condition, it might be found under a general listing for a type of condition instead of for the specific condition itself.
Types of Disability Benefits Available in Maine
Researching how to apply for disability in the state of Maine can help you avoid wasting time by ensuring you know what to include with your application from the start. Nevertheless, you could still waste time if you apply to the wrong program for someone in your circumstances.
SSA benefits programs to be aware of are:
Maine Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
You may qualify for SSDI if you’ve worked and paid into Social Security in the past. For every year that they work and pay into the Social Security system, an American worker earns a certain number of work credits. The maximum number of work credits a person can earn in a single year is four.
Those work credits come into play when a worker becomes disabled and seeks SSDI. To qualify for SSDI, a worker must have earned a minimum of 40 work credits in their career, 20 of which they earned during the 10 years immediately preceding when they became disabled.
What if, due to age, it would have been impossible for you to earn sufficient work credits to qualify for SSDI before you became disabled? Discuss this matter with a lawyer to determine if applying for SSDI is worth it in this scenario. In some cases, the SSA makes exceptions for applicants who are too young to have earned enough work credits.
Maine Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI is another option to consider, particularly if you haven’t earned enough work credits to qualify for SSDI. As a purely-needs-based program, SSI isn’t linked to your work history. To show you’re eligible for SSI, you only need to show that:
- You have a disability or are at least 65 years old
- You have low or no income
- You have little or no resources
Prepare to document how you spend SSI funds if you qualify for the program. Documenting when you spend SSI funds on a child’s expenses is particularly important.
State of Maine Disability Programs
Maine doesn’t offer a statewide short-term disability benefits program through the government. However, many employers in Maine do offer short-term and long-term disability insurance through their benefits packages. Check your benefits package to see if this alternative to SSA disability benefits in Maine is one that’s available to you.
Short-term disability is helpful in various circumstances. For example, maybe you have a disability that isn’t expected to last at least 12 months, but does temporarily prevent you from working and earning an income. Short-term disability insurance may be very helpful in these circumstances.
Find A Disability Lawyer In Maine
You don’t have to go it alone when seeking disability benefits in Maine. There are many advantages to hiring a Maine disability attorney to assist you with this process. The following are just some of the ways a lawyer can help you:
- Reviewing your case and explaining your options
- Determining what types of disability programs, you may apply to
- Gathering medical documentation and other evidence to strengthen your application
- Submitting a thorough application on your behalf
- Assisting with an appeal if the SSA or another agency or company denies your initial application
Learn more by taking the Free Case Evaluation today to speak with an attorney who may be able to help with your case!
How Much Disability Can You Receive in Maine?
How much is disability in Maine? There’s no universal answer, as many factors can influence how much someone may receive. These include the severity of their disability, whether they have other sources of income and more.
Maximum monthly benefits in 2024 are as follows:
- $943 for individuals receiving SSI
- $1,415 for couples receiving SSI
- $3,822 for SSDI
Remember, the above are maximums. Use our free disability calculator or speak with a lawyer to get a better sense of how much you may receive.
