What’s inside
Disability benefits 1
Who can get Social Security disability benefits? 1
How do I apply for disability benefits? 4
When should I apply and what information
do I need? 4
Who decides if I have a qualifying disability? 5
How is the decision made? 6
What happens when my claim is approved? 9
Can my family get benefits? 10
How do other payments affect my benefits? 10
What do I need to tell Social Security? 11
When do I get Medicare? 12
What do I need to know about working? 12
The Ticket to Work program 13
Achieving a Better Life Experience
(ABLE) Account 13
Contacting Us 14
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Disability benets
Disability is something most people don’t like to think
about. But the chances that you’ll develop a disability are
probably greater than you realize. Studies show that a
20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of developing a
disability before reaching full retirement age.
Social Security pays disability benets through 2
programs: the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
program. This publication is about our SSDI program
and provides basic information to help you understand
the process. For information about the SSI disability
program for adults, see Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) (Publication No. 05-11000). For information about
disability programs for children, read Benets For
Children With Disabilities (Publication No. 05-10026). Our
publications are available online at www.ssa.gov/pubs.
Who can get Social Security disability benets?
We pay disability benets to people who can’t work
because they have a medical condition that’s expected
to last at least 1 year or result in death. Federal law
requires this very strict denition of disability. While some
programs give money to people with a partial disability or
short-term disability, we do not.
Certain family members of workers with disabilities can
also receive benets from us. We explain this in the
“Can my family get benets?” section.
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How do I meet the earnings requirement for
disability benets?
In general, to get disability benets, you must meet 2
different earnings tests:
1. A recent work test, based on your age at the time you
developed a disability.
2. A duration of work test to show that you worked long
enough under Social Security.
Certain workers who are blind have to meet only the
duration of work test.
The following table shows the rules for how much work
you need for the recent work test, based on your age
when you developed a disability. We base the rules in this
table on the calendar quarter in which you turned or will
turn a certain age.
The calendar quarters are:
1
st
Quarter: January 1 through March 31
2
nd
Quarter: April 1 through June 30
3
rd
Quarter: July 1 through September 30
4
th
Quarter: October 1 through December 31
If you develop a
disability...
Then you generally need:
In or before the quarter you
turn age 24
1.5 years of work during the 3-year
period ending with the quarter you
developed a disability.
In the quarter after you
turn age 24 but before the
quarter you turn age 31
Work during half the time for the period
beginning with the quarter after you
turned 21 and ending with the quarter
you developed a disability. Example: If
you developed a disability in the quarter
you turned age 27, then you would need
3 years of work out of the 6-year period
ending with the quarter you developed a
disability.
In the quarter you turn age
31 or later
Work during 5 years out of the 10-year
period ending with the quarter you
developed a disability.
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The following formula shows how many quarters of
coverage you need to meet the duration of work test:
In general, you may take the year you developed a
disability and subtract the year you attained age 22, to get
the number of quarters of coverage necessary to meet the
duration requirement.
NOTE: You must have a minimum of 6 quarters of
coverage to meet the duration requirement. This
minimum requirement is also applicable for those
who have not yet attained age 22 and may apply for
disability based on their own earnings.
NOTE: This table is an estimate only and does not cover
all situations.
If you develop a
disability...
Then you generally need:
Before age 28 1.5 years of work
Age 30 2 years
Age 34 3 years
Age 38 4 years
Age 42 5 years
Age 44 5.5 years
Age 46 6 years
Age 48 6.5 years
Age 50 7 years
Age 52 7.5 years
Age 54 8 years
Age 56 8.5 years
Age 58 9 years
Age 60 9.5 years
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How do I apply for disability benets?
There are 2 ways that you can apply for disability benets.
You can:
1. Apply online.
2. Call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to make an
appointment to le a disability claim at your local Social
Security ofce. You can also set up an appointment for
someone to take your claim over the telephone. The
disability claim interview lasts about 1 hour. If you’re
deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our toll-free TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00
p.m., Monday through Friday. If you schedule an
appointment, we’ll send you a Disability Starter Kit to
help you get ready for your disability claims interview.
The Disability Starter Kit also is available online at
www.ssa.gov/disability.
You have the right to representation by an attorney
or other qualied person of your choice when you
do business with us. For more information about
representation, read Your Right To Representation
(Publication No. 05-10075).
When should I apply and what information
do I need?
You should apply for disability benets as soon as you
develop a disability. Processing an application for
disability benets can take on average 6 to 8 months.
To apply for disability benets, you’ll need to complete
an application for Social Security benets. You can
apply online at www.ssa.gov/disability. We may be
able to process your application faster if you provide any
information we need, such as:
• Your Social Security number.
• Your date and place of birth.
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• Names, addresses, and phone numbers of the doctors,
caseworkers, hospitals, and clinics that took care of
you, and dates of your visits.
• Names and dosages of all the medicine you take.
• Medical records from your doctors, therapists,
hospitals, clinics, and caseworkers that you already
have in your possession.
• Laboratory and test results.
• A summary of where you worked and the kind of work
you did.
• A copy of your most recent W-2 Form (Wage and Tax
Statement) or, if you’re self-employed, your federal tax
returns for the past year.
In addition to the application for disability benets,
you’ll also need to ll out other forms. One form collects
information about your medical condition and how it
affects your ability to work. Other forms give doctors,
hospitals, and other health care professionals who have
treated you, permission to send us information about your
medical condition.
Don’t delay applying for benets if you can’t get all of this
information together quickly. We’ll help you get it.
Who decides if I have a qualifying disability?
We’ll review your application to make sure you meet
some basic requirements for disability benets. We’ll
check whether you worked enough years to be eligible.
Also, we’ll evaluate any current work activities. If you meet
these requirements, we’ll process your application and
forward your case to the Disability Determination Services
ofce in your state.
This state agency makes the initial disability determination
decision for us and considers all of the facts in your case.
Doctors and disability specialists in the state agency may
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ask your doctors for information about your condition(s).
They’ll use the medical evidence from your doctors,
hospitals, clinics, or institutions where you’ve been
treated, and all other information. They’ll ask your doctors
about:
• Your medical condition(s).
• When your medical condition(s) began.
• How your medical condition(s) limit your activities.
• Medical tests results.
• What treatment you’ve received.
They’ll also ask the doctors for information about your
ability to do work-related activities, such as walking,
sitting, lifting, carrying, and remembering instructions.
Your doctors don’t decide if you meet our denition of
disability.
The state agency staff may need more medical
information before they can decide if you have a disability.
If your medical sources can’t provide needed information,
the state agency may ask you to go for a special
examination. We prefer to ask your own doctor, but
sometimes the exam may have to be done by someone
else. We will pay for the exam and for some of the related
travel costs.
How is the decision made?
The state uses a 5-step evaluation process, in a set order,
to decide if you have a qualifying disability.
1. Are you working?
If you’re working and your earnings average more than
a certain amount each month, you generally won’t meet
our denition of disability. The amount (referred to as
“substantial gainful activity”) changes each year. For
the current gure, see the annual Update (Publication
No. 05-10003).
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If you’re not working, or your monthly earnings average
to the current amount or less, the state agency then
proceeds to step 2.
2. Is your medical condition “severe”?
For you to be considered to have a disability by
Social Security’s denition, your medical condition
must signicantly limit your ability to do basic work
activities — such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, and
remembering — for at least 12 months. If your medical
condition isn’t severe, you won’t be considered to have a
qualifying disability. If your condition is severe, the agency
staff proceeds to step 3.
3. Does your medical condition meet or medically
equal a listing?
Our listing of impairments describes medical conditions
that we consider severe enough to prevent a person from
doing any gainful activity. These conditions are deemed
severe regardless of age, education, or work experience.
Within each listing, experts specify the objective medical
and other ndings needed to satisfy the criteria of that
listing. If your medical condition meets or medically equals
(meaning it is at least equal in severity and duration to)
the criteria of a listing, the state agency will decide that
you have a qualifying disability. If your medical condition
doesn’t meet or medically equal the criteria of a listing, the
state agency proceeds to step 4.
4. Can you do the work you did before?
At this step, the state agency decides if your medical
condition(s) prevents you from performing any of your
past work. If it doesn’t, agency staff decide you don’t have
a qualifying disability. If it does, the state agency proceeds
to step 5.
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5. Can you do any other type of work?
If you can’t do the work you did in the past, agency staff
look to see if there’s other work you can do despite your
medical condition(s). The state considers your age,
education, past work experience, and any skills you may
have that could be used to do other work. If you can’t
do other work, the state agency decides that you have a
qualifying disability. If you can do other work, you don’t
have a qualifying disability.
Special rules for people who are blind
There are special rules for people who are blind. For more
information, read If You Are Blind Or Have Low Vision—
How We Can Help (Publication No. 05-10052).
We’ll tell you our decision
When the state agency makes a determination on your
case, we’ll send a letter to you. If your application is
approved, the letter will show the amount of your benet,
and when your payments start. If your application isn’t
approved, the letter will explain why and tell you how to
appeal the determination if you don’t agree with it.
What if I disagree?
If you disagree with a decision made on your claim, you
can appeal it. The steps you can take are explained in
Your Right to Question the Decision Made on Your Claim
(Publication No. 05-10058).
How we’ll contact you
Generally, we mail a letter or call you when we want to
contact you about your benets. Sometimes, a Social
Security representative may come to your home. Our
representative will show you identication before talking
about your benets. Calling the Social Security ofce to
ask if someone was sent to see you is a good idea.
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If you’re blind or have low vision, you can choose to
receive notices from us in 1 of the following ways:
• Standard print notice by rst-class mail.
• Standard print notice by certied mail.
• Standard print notice by rst-class mail and a follow-up
telephone call.
• Braille notice and a standard print notice by
rst-class mail.
• Microsoft Word le on a data compact disc (CD) and a
standard print notice by rst-class mail.
• Audio CD and a standard print notice
by rst-class mail.
• Large print (18-point size) notice and a standard print
notice by rst-class mail.
For more information, visit our website at
www.ssa.gov/people/blind/ or call us toll-free at
1-800-772-1213. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you
may call our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.
What happens when my claim is approved?
We’ll send a letter to you telling you your application is
approved, the amount of your monthly benet, and the
effective date. Your monthly disability benet is based
on your average lifetime earnings. Generally, there is a
5-month waiting period and we’ll pay your 1
st
benet the
6
th
full month after the date we nd your disability began.
However, there is no waiting period if your disability
results from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here is
an example: If the state agency decides your disability
began on January 15, your 1
st
disability benet will be paid
for the month of July. Social Security benets are paid in
the month following the month for which they are due, so
you’ll receive your July benet in August.
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You’ll also receive What You Need To Know When You
Get Disability Benets (Publication No. 05-10153), which
gives you important information about your benets and
tells you what changes you must report to us.
Can my family get benets?
Certain members of your family may be eligible for
benets based on your work. They include:
• Your spouse, if they are age 62 or older.
• Your spouse at any age, if they are caring for a child
of yours who is younger than age 16 or who has a
disability.
• Your 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).
• Your unmarried child, age 18 or older, if they have
a disability that started before age 22. The child’s
disability must also meet the denition of disability for
adults.
NOTE: In some situations, a divorced spouse may be
eligible for benets based on your earnings. They must
have been married to you for at least 10 years, are not
currently married, and are at least age 62. The money
paid to a divorced spouse doesn’t reduce your benet or
any benets due to your current spouse or children.
How do other payments aect my benets?
If you’re getting other government benets (including
those from a foreign country), the amount of your SSDI
benets may be affected. For more information, you
should see the following:
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• How Workers’ Compensation And Other
Disability Payments May Affect Your Benets
(Publication No. 05-10018)
• Windfall Elimination Provision
(Publication No. 05-10045)
• Government Pension Offset (Publication No. 05-10007)
You can get these publications from our website, or you
can contact us to request them.
What do I need to tell Social Security?
If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest
You must tell us if you have an outstanding arrest warrant
for any of the following felony offenses:
• Flight to avoid prosecution or connement.
• Escape from custody.
• Flight-escape.
You can’t receive regular disability benets or any
underpayments you may be due for any month in which
there is an outstanding arrest warrant for any of these
felony offenses.
If you’re convicted of a crime
You need to tell us right away if you’re convicted of a
crime. Regular disability benets, or any underpayments,
that may be due aren’t paid for the months a person is
conned for a crime. However, any family members who
are eligible for benets based on that person’s work may
continue to receive benets.
Monthly benets, or any underpayments that may be due,
are usually not paid to someone who commits a crime and
is conned to an institution by court order and at public
expense. This applies if the person has been found:
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• Not guilty by reason of insanity or similar factors
(such as mental disease, mental defect, or mental
incompetence).
• Incompetent to stand trial.
If you violate a condition of parole or probation
You must tell us if you’re violating a condition of your
probation or parole imposed under federal or state
law. You can’t receive regular disability benets or any
underpayment that may be due for any month in which
you violate a condition of your probation or parole.
When do I get Medicare?
You’ll get Medicare coverage automatically after you’ve
received disability benets for 2 years. You can nd more
information about the Medicare program, in Medicare
(Publication No. 05-10043).
What do I need to know about working?
After you start receiving SSDI benets, you may want
to try working again. We have special rules called work
incentives that allow you to test your ability to work and
still receive monthly SSDI benets. You can also get help
with education, rehabilitation, and training you may need to
work.
If you do take a job or become self-employed, tell us about
this change right away. We need to know when you start
or stop work and if there are any changes in your job
duties, hours of work, or rate of pay. You can call us toll-
free at 1-800-772-1213. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing,
you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
For more information about helping you return to work,
go online for Working While Disabled—How We Can
Help (Publication No. 05-10095). A guide to all our
employment supports can be found in A Summary Guide
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to Employment Supports for People with Disabilities
Under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Programs, also
called the Red Book (Publication No. 64-030). Also visit
our website, www.ssa.gov/work.
The Ticket to Work program
Under this program, Social Security and SSI disability
beneciaries can get help with training and other
services they need to go to work at no cost to them.
Most disability beneciaries are eligible to participate in
the Ticket to Work program. Disability beneciaries can
select an approved provider who also agrees to work with
them and can offer the kind of services they need. To
learn more about this program, read Your Ticket To Work
(Publication No. 05-10061).
Achieving a Better Life Experience
(ABLE) Account
An Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account
is a tax-advantaged savings account for a person with a
disability. You can use an ABLE account to save funds for
many disability-related expenses. Anyone, including the
account owner, family, and friends can contribute to the
ABLE account. The account owner of an ABLE account
must meet 1 of the following:
• Be eligible for SSI based on disability or blindness that
began before age 26.
• Be entitled to disability insurance benets, childhood
disability benets, or benets for surviving spouses
with disabilities, based on disability or blindness that
occurred before age 26.
• Have a certication that disability or blindness occurred
before age 26.
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The money that you have in your ABLE account (up to
and including $100,000) does not count as a resource
under SSI rules. You can use money in an ABLE
account to pay for certain qualied disability expenses.
These expenses include those for education, housing,
transportation, employment training, employment support,
assistive technology, and related services.
To learn more about ABLE accounts, please visit the
Internal Revenue Services’ website at www.irs.gov/
government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/
able-accounts-tax-benet-for-people-with-disabilities.
Please note: Social Security provides this section
as a courtesy to help notify you of ABLE accounts.
However, Social Security is not afliated with and
does not endorse any ABLE account provider or its
services.
Contacting Us
There are several ways to contact us, such as online,
by phone, and in person. We’re here to answer your
questions and to serve you. For nearly 90 years, we have
helped secure today and tomorrow by providing benets
and nancial protection for millions of people throughout
their life’s journey.
Visit our website
The most convenient way to conduct business with us is
online at www.ssa.gov. You can accomplish a lot.
• Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug
plan costs.
• Apply for most types of benets.
• Start or complete your request for an original or
replacement Social Security card.
• Find copies of our publications.
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• Get answers to frequently asked questions.
When you create a personal my Social Security account,
you can do even more.
• Review your Social Security Statement.
• Verify your earnings.
• Get estimates of future benets.
• Print a benet verication letter.
• Change your direct deposit information (Social Security
beneciaries only).
• Request a replacement Medicare card.
• Get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.
If you live outside the United States, visit
www.ssa.gov/foreign to access our online services.
Call us
If you cannot use our online services, we can help you by
phone when you call our National toll-free 800 Number.
We provide free interpreter services upon request.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 — or at our TTY
number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing
— between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For quicker access to a representative, try calling
early in the day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time)
or later in the day. We are less busy later in the week
(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month. We
also offer many automated telephone services, available
24 hours a day, so you may not need to speak with a
representative.
If you have documents we need to see, they must be
original or copies that are certied by the issuing agency.
Social Security Administration | Publication No. 05-10029
March 2024 (Recycle prior editions)
Disability Benefits
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
