What Benefits Are Available?

There are two types of benefits, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income. Social Security Disability is paid to disabled workers, and in some cases their dependents, based on the disabled worker’s earnings paid into the Social Security system. Supplemental Security Income is paid to disabled individuals that have little or no work history, and is based on financial need.

You may qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits if you:

• are disabled and worked/earned enough credits to become insured
• are a disabled widower or widow between the ages of 50 and 60 and your deceased spouse earned enough credits to become insured
• were disabled before the age of 22 and either of your parents is disabled or deceased, and earned enough credits to become insured

You may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payments if you:

• are age 65 or older
• are blind (vision acuity of 20/200 or less in your better eye with use of a correcting lens) or disabled
• have limited income
• have limited resources
• are a U.S. citizen or national, or in one of certain categories of aliens and is a resident of one of the 50 States, Washington D.C., or the Northern Mariana Islands
• are not absent from the country for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more
• apply for any other cash payments or benefits (Social Security benefits, pensions, etc)
• file an application
• meet certain other requirements

Being disabled as an adult means that you have a physical or mental condition that:

• results in the inability to perform substantial gainful activity (earning less that $1,170 in an average month for 2017)
• is expected to result in death
• has lasted or is expected to last for more than 12 months