Disability Benefits

To be approved for benefits you need to have worked long and recently enough according to the SSA. That said, work credits are based off your yearly income and the maximum work credits per year you can earn is 4. Something to keep in mind is that the amount needed for a work credit changes on a yearly basis and the amount of work credits needed to qualify for disability benefits depends on when you became disabled. Usually you will need 40 credits total and have 20 of them earned within the last 10 years.

According to the SSA, disability is defined as…

1. You cannot do work that you did before;
2. We decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your medical conditions
3. Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.

Difference between SSDI and SSI

SSDI or Social Security Disability Insurance is a program that helps people who have worked and paid into social security and it focuses on those that suffer from physical or mental impairments that are severe. On the other hand, SSI is a program that specifically targets people of low-income(65 years or older), people who are blind or disabled (children too). SSDI is funded by social security taxes while SSI is funded by the Treasury Department.