Crucial Information about the Social Security Disability Application Process and SSI

How to prove you are disabled
and win disability benefits

Filing for disability benefits that are provided by the social security administration will mean one of the following:

1. Filing a claim in the title 2 SSDI, or social security disability insurance program.

2. Filing a claim in the title 16 SSI, or supplemental security income disability, program.

3. Filing a claim that is classified as concurrent, meaning that a disability application is taken in both programs.

The specific program that a claim is filed in is determined by the social security office where the claim is initiated, but it is based on whether or not a person has worked long enough, or recently enough, to have insured status.

Individuals who have insured status will be eligible to file for social security disability; whereas individuals who are not covered for this program, or who are no longer covered (yes, you can lose your insured status for SSDI if you have not worked for quite some time) must file for SSI.

As for concurrent claims in which an application is filed in both programs, these occur when a person is eligible to have a claim taken for SSDI (because, they have worked long enough and have also earned enough quarters of coverage and work credits to be insured) but will only qualify to receive a relatively small monthly disability benefit check.

Concurrent claims are really for the purpose of ensuring that a person will receive at least a minimum amount each month for their disability benefit. And that minimum amount is whatever the current maximum is for a full SSI disability check. Having said that, however, eligibility for SSI is takes into account one's unearned income as well as their assets. For instance, for SSI a single individual cannot have more than two thousand dollars in countable assets before voiding their eligibility for SSI. No such asset limit applies to SSDI--but it does affect individuals who might otherwise be eligible to have a concurrent claim taken in both disability benefit programs.

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Topics and Questions

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How is Social Security Disability Awarded

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SSD and SSI are Federal Programs

The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here:

Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state

Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials