Your Disability Claim: If You Have Been Convicted of a Crime
Sometimes people have lapses in judgment. Sometimes they are wrongly accused of things they did not do. Unfortunately, when these problems lead to incarceration, they can affect all aspects of your life — including your Social Security Disability benefits.
Your benefits will not end permanently if you are convicted of a crime, but you cannot receive disability benefits for the months you are in jail, prison or another institution. This is true even if you have been found not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to stand trial.
Do not let your past history of incarceration keep you from applying for SSD or SSI. A past conviction does not disqualify you for benefits.
Outstanding Warrants, Probation and Parole
You cannot receive SSD benefits while you have an outstanding arrest warrant for a serious crime — one that is a felony in your state, or a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year. You also cannot receive disability benefits for months in which you violate a condition of your probation or parole.
Claimants are required to notify the Social Security Administration if they have an outstanding arrest warrant for a serious crime, if they violate a condition of parole or probation, or if they are incarcerated.
Attorney Cynthia Berger and her law firm have represented claimants who have been incarcerated. To contact disability claim lawyer Cynthia Berger and her support staff at our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, law office, call us toll free at 888-572-1164. We offer free and confidential consultations.
