If you’re applying for benefits from the Social Security Administration, you may need to demonstrate that you have an impairment that qualifies as a disability. Under their definition, this needs to last for 12 months.
But it’s possible that you could have multiple conditions that would all qualify on their own. For instance, maybe you suffered serious spinal cord injuries, and the traumatic event also left you with PTSD, so you believe you would qualify with both a physical disability and a mental disability. Is this going to impact your options?
You cannot combine the duration
One important thing to note is that you often cannot combine the duration of both of these ailments to meet the 12-month duration test. This is true if they are unrelated issues. If one ailment will last for six months and so will the other, that doesn’t mean that you satisfy the 12-month duration.
Of course, having concurrent impairments can change your situation. It may be possible that, because you have two issues to deal with at the same time, there’s going to be some level of disability for more than 12 months. In that case, you would qualify. But the overall impairment has to last for the full 12 months.
For instance, say that you were in a car accident and suffered numerous injuries. You have 12 different physical conditions that are all expected to heal within the next month. This still only qualifies as being disabled for a single month, not 12 months.
Considering your options
It can be very complex to deal with the Social Security Administration, and you need to know exactly what qualifies you for benefits. Take the time to carefully look into your legal options.
