Rules And Requirements To Qualify For Social Security Disability Benefits

The rules and requirements to qualify for Social Security disability benefits are relatively straightforward. In short, to be eligible for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, a claimant must satisfy both the medical and non-medical (financial) requirements for benefits. You should apply for benefits as soon as you are eligible.

For the medical requirements, Social Security will evaluate your claim to determine whether you have a medically determinable impairment (illness or injury) that is disabling.

The non-medical rules and requirements are where the SSDI and SSI programs of benefits differ. For disability insurance claims, Social Security will review your earnings history to determine whether you have earned enough credits for SSDI. In SSI claims, Social Security will evaluate your income and assets to decide whether or not you have a low enough income to qualify for SSI.

Medical Issues

A claimant must have a medically determinable impairment (medical condition) that is severe and either:

• meets all of the requirements of a Social Security listing of impairment;
• prevents the claimant from working at any of their past jobs or any other job, given their education, age, and skills.

Another requirement to qualify for SSDI or SSI is that the claimant’s medical disability must have lasted, or can be expected to last, for at least one year. For more information, see our article on the definition of disability and the one-year rule.

Financial Issues

If a claimant earns a certain amount of money per month in employment, they may be considered gainfully employed and not eligible for benefits. To learn what amount the Social Security Administration considers “substantial gainful activity” (SGA), see our article on the SGA earnings limits for disability.

Insured Status Requirements For SSDI

To meet the legal/financial requirements for SSDI, you must be “insured” under the Social Security Disability Insurance program of benefits. That means you must have paid taxes into the Social Security system for a required number of years.

Social Security considers the number of quarters of coverage you earned to determine if you are insured. You earn a quarter of coverage (QC)—a “credit”—for a certain amount of work covered under Social Security, but you may earn no more than 4 QCs per year.

The reported income also must be relatively recent. Work credits expire, and your insured status can lapse if too much time has passed since you stopped working. See our article on determining your Social Security Earnings History to see if you meet the work credit requirement.

How Many Credits Do I Need To Be Eligible For Social Security Disability Insurance?

Generally, you have disability-insured status if you:

1. Have earned at least 20 QCs during the last ten years, and
2. Are fully insured.

Exceptions apply for those under age 31 and in certain other cases. Click here for more details on the Insured Status Requirements for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Asset and Income Limits For SSI

SSI, on the other hand, is a welfare-based program of benefits. There are no work requirements for SSI. However, there are asset and family income limits. Qualifying for SSI is like qualifying for food stamps. You can learn more in our article, “How Do You Qualify for SSI?“

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