Disability & SSI

Qualify and Apply

Find out if you're eligible for Social Security Benefits

Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST)

Use our screening tool to help identify all the different Social Security programs for which you may be eligible.

Overview

We pay disability benefits under two programs: the Social Security disability insurance program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.

If you qualify, apply for Social Security disability benefits online. No matter what kind of disability benefits you are applying for, you must give us information about your medical, work, and education history to help us decide if you are disabled.

Note: If you're an Advocate, Attorney or Third Party Representative, we need additional information from you on the application.

Detailed information about each of these programs is available at the following websites:

You don't have to be disabled or blind to collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you are 65 or older.

For most people, the medical requirements for disability payments are the same under both programs, and your disability is determined by the same process. Use our Disability Planner to find out medical and earnings requirements, what happens once you’re approved, and more.

Our calculators can give you an estimate of disability benefit amounts based on your record if you should become disabled. If you get Social Security (not SSI) disability benefits you possibly could be eligible for Medicare.

SSI is a program run by Social Security that pays monthly checks to the elderly, the blind and people with disabilities who don't own much or who don't have much income. If you get SSI, you usually get food stamps and Medicaid, too. Medicaid helps pay doctor and hospital bills.

While eligibility for Social Security disability is based on prior work under Social Security, SSI disability payments are made on the basis of financial need.

Children may qualify for disability benefits under either the Social Security program or the SSI program.

Who Can Get Social Security Disability Benefits

You can get Social Security disability benefits until age 65. When you reach age 65, your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount remains the same.

Certain members of your family may qualify for benefits on your record. They include:

Your spouse who is age 62 or older, or any age if he or she is caring for a child of yours who is under age 16 or disabled and also receiving checks.
Your disabled widow or widower age 50 or older.
Your unmarried son or daughter, including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild or grandchild. The child must be under age 18 or under age 19 if in high school full time.
Your unmarried son or daughter, age 18 or older, if he or she has a disability that started before age 22.

If you become the parent of a child (including an adopted child) after you begin receiving Social Security benefits, be sure to notify us so that we can determine if the child qualifies for benefits.

For more information about disability benefits for children, ask Social Security for the booklet, Benefits for Children With Disabilities (Publication No. 05-10026).

Note: The SSI program also pays benefits to needy disabled children under age 18.

How to Apply for Disability Benefits

Apply as soon as you become disabled. You can file:

Online using our Internet Social Security Benefit Application
By phone, mail or in person at any Social Security office. Call for an appointment.
Note: You may receive back benefits from the date you became disabled, but they're limited to one year before the date you filed for benefits.

How to Speed Up Your Disability Claim

It generally takes from 90 to 120 days to process claims for disability benefits. You can help shorten the process by bringing certain documents with you when you apply and helping us to get any other medical evidence you need to show you are disabled. These include:

the Social Security number and proof of age for each person applying for payments including your spouse and children, if they are applying for benefits;
names, addresses and phone numbers of doctors, hospitals, clinics and institutions that treated you and dates of treatment;
names of all medications you are taking;
medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers;
laboratory and test results;
a summary of where you worked and the kind of work you did;
a copy of your W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement), or, if you are self-employed, your federal tax return for the past year; and
dates of prior marriages if your spouse is applying.

You also should be ready to answer other questions we must ask.

Don't delay filing for benefits just because you don't have all the information and documents you need. The people at the Social Security office will be glad to help you.

Who Can Get SSI Benefits

To get SSI benefits, you must be elderly or blind or have a disability.

"Elderly" means you are 65 or older.
"Blind" means you are either totally blind or have very poor eyesight. Children, as well as adults, can get benefits because of blindness.
A disability means you have a physical or mental problem that is expected to last at least a year or result in death. Children, as well as adults, can get benefits because of disability.

You must live in the U.S. or Northern Mariana Islands and be a U.S. citizen or national. (Certain non-citizens also may be eligible for SSI. A Social Security representative can tell you if you qualify.)

Also, the things you own and your income must be below certain amounts.

See our publication on Supplemental Security Income (Publication No. 05-11000) for details about the income limits.

How Much You Can Get from SSI

The amount of your benefit depends on where you live.

You could get more if you live in a state that adds to the SSI check. Or you could get less if you or your family has other money coming in each month. Your living arrangements also make a difference in whether you can get SSI and the amount you can get.

How to Sign Up for SSI Benefits

Call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, for an appointment with a Social Security representative who will help you sign up. You can speak to a service representative between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call our toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on business days.

You should have the following things before you apply. Even if you don't have them all, sign up anyway. The people in the Social Security office can help you get what you need. Please bring:

your Social Security card or a record of your Social Security number;
your birth certificate or other proof of your age. If you do not have a birth certificate, you may request one from the State where you were born. See Where to Write for Vital Records for details on where to write in your State.
information about the home where you live, such as your mortgage or your lease and landlord's name;
payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records, and other information about your income and the things you own;
if you're signing up for disability, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals, and clinics that have seen you; and
proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status.

Also bring your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution, so you can have your benefits deposited directly into your account. Direct deposit protects you from loss or theft of your check, or delays in the mail. The money is always on time and ready for you to use without making a trip to the bank.


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Qualify and Apply

Find out if you're eligible for Social Security Benefits

Overview

Note: If you're an Advocate, Attorney or Third Party Representative, we need additional information from you on the application.

Social Security Disability Program

Supplemental Security Income Program