Q & A
Does Social Security provide benefits for short-term disabilities?
Complete Question: I got a new job last month and it takes three months to get any PTO. Unfortunately, I got into a car accident and have been severely injured. I have broken ribs and a broken leg. My doctor says I can’t go back to work for at least a couple of months because I can’t use crutches due to the broken ribs. Since I’m so new at my job and don’t have any sick time, I was wondering if Social Security would help with short-term disability.
Answer: The short answer to your question is no. Different companies and states have various requirements to cover short-term disabilities. Because of this, Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are only intended to help people who cannot work due to long-term, possibly life-long, disability issues that prevent them from working.
I often refer people to Social Security’s Listing of Impairments as an initial step to determine whether or not they would qualify for disability. Although it is not an exhaustive list, it is a good first step. However, in your situation, it is a good idea to take a step backwards and look at the basic definition of disability by Social Security standards. SSDI/SSI requires that “your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.” They are very strict with this statement, which is indicative of not providing assistance for short-term disability.
The SSA also states that “program rules assume working families have access to other resources to provide support during periods of short-term disabilities, including workers’ compensation, insurance, savings, and investments.” As much as this is true for many people, this may not be true for all people, and just from what you said I know that at least some of these options (i.e. workers’ compensation) are not available to you.
Even though the SSA says you have to expect to be disabled for a year, people do qualify sooner depending on their situation. If for some reason your situation changes, such as further complications later due to your injury that will extend your time away from work, you can revisit the SSDI/SSI option. Otherwise, it is unfortunately not an option for you at this time.