I was laid off from my job due to coronavirus, can I receive Social Security Disability benefits?

In most cases, if you were working a job for which you were qualified and performing at the typical level, you cannot receive Social Security Disability benefits. Also, with the additional unemployment availability, in most cases, you will receive far more money through the state unemployment benefits and the federal supplement.

However, if you were performing your occupation only because your employer made special accommodations for your medical condition or disability, and would typically not be able to perform your job as it is normally performed, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability. You will need medical documentation of your physical or mental limitations as well as why your job differed from the same type of job as normally performed. Special accommodations regarding hours, significant workplace modifications, or extra help from other employees that cannot normally be expected are examples of why you may have been able to do your job but cannot do the same job typically.

Depending on the nature of the jobs you have done, your ability to acquire new skills or adapt to other jobs becomes more limited with age, and Social Security regulations recognize this. If you are over 50 and your job required lifting or other physical exertion that you could not do except for extra help or relaxed work rules, and if the job does not have transferable skills to less strenuous jobs, you may want to consult an experienced social security attorney in order to evaluate your options.