Social Security Disability Insurance, commonly known as SSDI, is a federal program in the United States designed to provide financial support to people who are unable to work due to a disability.
This program, managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA), offers monthly cash benefits to those who meet certain specific eligibility criteria based on determining that all persons who are awarded benefits payments they really need and deserve.
The money is sent to the beneficiary so that they can use it at their discretion, in order to meet the costs of living each month.
Requirements to qualify for SSDI in 2024
If you are thinking of applying and being considered as To be eligible for SSDI benefits, several requirements must be met, not very complicated but quite specific in the end.
These are the most relevant, as explained by the SSA itself on its website. We have tried to explain them as simply as possible, without technicalities or complex terms.
1. Disabling Medical Condition
- Severe and Long-Term Disability: The first and most fundamental condition is having a disability that is severe enough to prevent you from working. The SSA defines a disability as a medical condition that prevents you from performing substantial, gainful work and that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months or results in death.
- SSA List of Disabilities: The SSA maintains a list of medical conditions that automatically qualify as disabling. If your condition is on that list, and you do meet the specified criteria requested by the SSA, you are more likely to be approved for benefits. If your condition is not on the list, the SSA will consider whether it is as serious as one of the conditions that is listed.
2. Work History and Social Security Credits
- Sufficient Work Credits: To qualify for SSDI, you must have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes. This work is measured in credits, and the number of credits you need depends on your age when you became disabled. In general, 40 credits are needed, of which 20 must have been earned in the last 10 years. However, if you are younger, fewer credits are required.
- Credits in 2024: In 2024, you earn one credit for every $1,640 in covered income, up to a maximum of four credits per year. The number of credits required increases if you are older, since you are expected to have worked more years.
3. Inability to Perform Gainful Activities
- Proof of Substantial Work: The SSA also evaluates whether your condition allows you to perform any type of substantial, paid work. If you can earn more than a certain amount (known as the substantial income limit) per month through a job, you more than likely won’t be eligible for SSDI. In 2024, this limit is $1,470 per month for non-blind people and $2,460 per month for blind people.
Who qualifies to receive SSDI benefits from the Social Security Administration?
SSDI is intended for legal American citizens or alien residents (from certain categories) of various circumstances who face disabilities that prevent them from working. These are some of the potential beneficiaries that could be elected by the SSA to receive SSDI payments:
- Workers who have contributed to Social Security: Most SSDI recipients are people who have worked for years and paid Social Security taxes before becoming disabled.
- Relatives of Beneficiaries: Some family members of an SSDI recipient may also receive benefits. This includes spouses, minor children, disabled adult children (who are disabled before age 22), and in some cases, divorced spouses.
- People with Chronic or Terminal Illnesses: Those with serious illnesses, such as certain types of cancer, heart disorders, or terminal illnesses, are often quickly approved under the SSA’s “Compassion” program.
SSDI Payment Schedule
SSDI benefits are paid monthly, and the payment schedule depends on the beneficiary’s day of birth:
- If you were born from 1 to 10: Your payments arrive on the second Wednesday of each month.
- If you were born from the 11th to the 20th: Your payments are issued on the third Wednesday of each month.
- If you were born from the 21st to the 31st: You will receive your payments on the fourth Wednesday of each month.