SSDI Eligibility

• Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, pays a monthly benefit to those who qualify. Eligibility is based on meeting the Social Security Administration's definition of disability and having worked the minimum amount of time required. The administration defines disability as being unable to do your customary work, being unable to train for new work, and having a condition that will last at least one year or be terminal. The minimum amount of work required varies by age at disability. For example, if your disability started when you were age 23 or younger, you must have worked 18 months paying into Social Security. If your disability started at age 46, you must have worked six years paying into Social Security.
  
  

SSDI Application and Benefits

• You may apply for SSDI online, over the phone or at a Social Security office. You should have your most recent Form W-2, recent employment history, medical records and prescription information. Once the agency has all the information needed, it can take three to five months to review your claim and make a decision. If you're approved, your SSDI benefit amount will be based on the amount you paid into Social Security while you were working. There is a five-month waiting period from the date of your disability to receive SSDI benefits.
  
  

SSI Eligibility

• Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is a monthly benefit paid to seniors (age 65 and older), the blind and the disabled with very low incomes and limited assets. To qualify for SSI due to disability, you must meet Social Security's definition of disability. To meet the income qualifications, your total income must be less than the monthly benefit SSI pays out. In 2011 SSI paid $674 per month to individuals and $1,011 to couples. Any income you receive lowers your SSI benefit. Your assets must be $2,000 or less as an individual or $3,000 if qualifying as a couple.
  
  

Applying for SSI

• You may receive both SSDI and SSI, so if you've applied for SSDI, you may still apply for SSI. You may apply for SSI over the phone or in person at a Social Security office. Social Security will require proof of income and your medical history, since you're applying under disability. You may also have someone assist you, if needed, to complete your SSDI and SSI applications.