(over)

What is Social Security

disability insurance?

Social Security pays monthly benefits to 

people who are unable to work because of a 

mental or physical condition. The condition 

must last for one year or more or be expected to result in death.

To qualify for benefits, you also must 

have worked long enough and recently 

enough under Social Security.

If you become disabled before age 24, you 

generally need one and a half years of work 

during the three-year period before your disability begins.

If you are 24 through 30, you generally 

need to have worked for half of the period 

between age 21 and the time you become 

disabled.

If you are disabled at age 31 or older, the 

amount of work you need depends on your 

age when you become disabled. Also, you 

must have worked for five years out of the 

10 years immediately before you become 

disabled. Citizenship is not required to 

qualify for benefits, but you must have legal 

permission to work in the United States.

Family benefits

Certain family members may qualify for 

benefits based on your work, including:

• Your unmarried child under the age 18, or 

19 if still in high school full time.

• Your unmarried child over 18 if he or she 

became disabled before age 22.

• Your spouse who is age 62 or older, or 

any age if she or he is caring for a child of 

yours who is under age 16 or disabled and 

also receiving benefits.

How to apply for disability benefits

To make the application process as simple as possible, you have the option of 

applying by phone, mail, or in person at any 

one of our community offices. In addition 

to the basic application, you also will need 

to fill out a form that tells us about your 

condition and how it affects your ability to 

work. We will also need another form that 

gives your doctors permission to send us 

information about your condition.

To speed up your claim, it will help if 

you have names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of treatment, and types of treatment received from each doctor, clinic, or 

hospital so we can ask them for copies of 

your medical records. At the application 

interview, you should be prepared to discuss 

your work history for the last 15 years. We 

will need a copy of last year’s W-2 form, 

or if you are self-employed, a copy of last 

year’s tax return.

Who makes the disability decision

We send the medical part of your claim to 

the disability determination services (DDS) 

agency in your state. Trained disability 

evaluation specialists will get your medical 

records, review the information and make 

a decision on your case. If they need more 

information, they may schedule a medical 

examination at no expense to you.

When benefits start

If your application is approved, your 

first disability benefit will be paid for the 

sixth full month after the date the evidence 

shows your disability began.

How Medicare can help

Medicare benefits will be available to you 

automatically after you have been getting 

disability benefits for two years. Medicare is 

a federal health insurance program for people age 65 or older, or disabled. It can help 

with hospital and doctor bills.

Disability Benefits

www.socialsecurity.gov Disability Benefits
If you can not qualify

for Social Security

If you apply for Social Security disability benefits and do not have enough work 

under Social Security, we will see if you 

qualify for disability payments under the 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI makes payments to people who 

are disabled or blind, or age 65 or older and

who have little income or resources.

You do not need prior work to qualify. 

Both programs are administered by the 

Social Security Administration, but SSI 

is not financed by Social Security taxes. 

Disability is determined in the same way, 

but other rules apply. For more information 

on SSI payments, ask for the publication, 

Supplemental Security Income Payments

(Publication No. 05-10702-EN). 

How long disability

benefits continue

Social Security disability benefits lasts 

as long as you are disabled and unable to 

work. If you can do substantial work, you 

will not be considered disabled and your 

benefits may stop.

However, if you try to work and are still 

medically disabled, there are special rules 

that allow you to continue to receive your 

benefits until you can work on a regular 

basis. These include:

• Trial work period—9 months (not necessarily consecutive) during which your 

earnings will not affect your benefits;

• Extended period of eligibility—36 months 

during which you may receive a benefit 

for any month your earnings drop below a 

certain level. In 2005, the level was $830. 

It increases every year.

• Deductions for impairment-related 

expenses—work expenses related to your 

disability will be deducted in figuring 

whether your earnings mean you are 

doing substantial work; and

• Medicare continuation—your Medicare 

coverage will continue for 93 months 

(7 years, 9 months) beyond the trial work 

period. If your Medicare coverage stops 

because of your work, you may purchase 

it for a monthly premium.

For more information on disability work 

incentives, ask for the publication Working 

While Disabled—How We Can Help 

(Publication No. 05-10095). This publication is only available in English.

Your case will be reviewed periodically to determine if you are still disabled. How often your case is reviewed 

depends on whether your condition is 

likely to improve. Reviews may take place 

from every 6 to 18 months when medical 

improvement is expected, to every 7 years 

when improvement is not expected. 

Contacting Social Security

For more information and to find copies of our publications, visit our website at 

www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free, 

1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). 

We can answer specific questions and provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day.

If you need an interpreter to conduct your 

Social Security business, we will provide 

one free of charge. Interpreter services are 

available whether you talk to us by phone 

or in the Social Security office. Call our 

toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. If you 

speak a language other than English or 

Spanish, press 1 and stay on the line until

a representative answers. An interpreter 

will be contacted to help with your call. 

If your business cannot be completed by 

phone, we will make an appointment for 

you at a local Social Security office and 

arrange for an interpreter to be there at

the time of your visit.

We treat all calls confidentially. We also 

want to make sure you receive accurate and 

courteous service. That is why we have a 

second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.

www.socialsecurity.gov

Social Security Administration

SSA Publication No. 05-10701-EN

Disability Benefits (English)

January 2005