Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security pays benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition(s) that's expected to last at least one year or result in death. Certain members of the individual's family may be eligible for benefits based on the individ

Social Security pays benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition(s) that's expected to last at least one year or result in death. The SSDI program pays monthly benefits to a disabled person and certain family members if the disabled person is "insured," meaning that person worked long enough - and recently enough - and paid Social Security taxes on those earnings. The number of work credits an individual needs to qualify for disability benefits depends on the individual's age when the disability begins. Certain members of the individual's family may be eligible for benefits based on the individual's work history. They include: • The individual's spouse, if he or she is age 62 or older. • The individual's spouse at any age, if he or she is caring for the individual's child who is younger than age 16 or who is disabled. • The individual's unmarried child, including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild or grandchild. The child must be younger than age 18 (or younger than 19 if still in high school). • The individual's unmarried child, age 18 or older, if he or she has a disability that started before age 22. The child's disability must also meet the definition of disability for adults.

A disabled worker is entitled to Social Security disability benefits if he or she has worked for a sufficient period of time under Social Security to be insured, has not attained "full-benefit retirement age", has filed an application, and is under a disability as defined in the Social Security law. The law defines disability as the inability to do any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. The insured status requirements depend upon the age of the applicant and the date they became disabled. Coverage credits under the social security systems of certain foreign countries with which the U.S. has reciprocal agreements may be taken into account to meet the requirements. Certain family members of disabled workers may also be entitled to benefits. : (1) Unmarried children under age 18, or under age 19 for full-time students in elementary or secondary school; (2) unmarried adult offspring at any age if continuously disabled since before age 22; (3) wife or husband at any age if child in his or her care is receiving benefits on worker's Social Security record and is under age 16 or disabled; (4) spouse age 62 or over; and (5) divorced wives or husbands age 62 or over who were married to the worker for at least 10 years. (Benefits are also payable to auxiliaries, including certain disabled widow(er)s, disabled surviving divorced spouses, children under age 19 who are full-time students in an elementary or secondary school, and disabled children of the worker, after the worker dies. See 96.004 "Social Security-Survivors' Insurance".) A person at and above full-benefit retirement age (FRA) will not have Social Security benefits reduced because of earnings. In the calendar year in which a beneficiary reaches FRA, benefits are reduced $1 for every $3 of earnings above the limit allowed by law, $65,160 in 2026, but this reduction is applied only to months prior to attainment of FRA. Further, no benefit can be paid to an alien in the United States unless he or she is lawfully present in the United States. In addition, an alien cannot qualify for benefits if he or she never had a work-authorized Social Security Number (SSN) (effective for benefit applications based on SSNs issued after 2003).

Qualified disabled workers under full retirement age (FRA). Under the definition of disability in the Social Security Law, disability benefits are provided to a person who is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months, or to result in death. Disabled widow(er)s' benefits are covered under survivors insurance. Felony-related impairments and confinement-related impairments cannot be considered in determining whether an individual is under a disability if the individual has been convicted of a felony which was committed after October 19, 1980. Eligibility cannot be based on drug addiction or alcoholism.

Monthly cash benefits are paid to entitled disabled persons and to entitled auxiliary beneficiaries throughout the period of disability generally after a 5-month waiting period. Costs of vocational rehabilitation also are paid for certain beneficiaries. There are no restrictions on the use of benefits received by beneficiaries, although the right to future benefits is not transferable or assignable. In general, State agencies make initial disability determinations for the Federal Government. The Federal Government gives the States funds, in advance or by way of reimbursement, for necessary costs in making disability determinations under 20 CFR 404.1503.

After review of the application is completed, the applicant (or representative payee) will be notified by mail.

An individual should apply for disability benefits when he or she believes the entitlement requirements may be met. Retroactivity of benefit payments is limited to 1 year before filing. Processing an application for disability benefits can take six months on average. We may be able to process your application faster if you help us by getting any information we need. For more information, please read Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029).

Online, form submission, telephone, or visit any Social Security Office. The appeal process ranges from a reconsideration through hearings and appeals levels to a review by the Federal courts.