Who is eligible for SSI Disability?

How to prove you are disabled
and win disability benefits

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a disability program administered by the Social Security Administration, which is based upon need. Individuals who have not worked at all, or have not worked enough to qualify for Social Security disability, or have a small Social Security disability benefit amount may qualify for SSI, on the basis of need.

Of course, like many need-based programs, SSI has income and resource limitations. If you are under the monthly earned income and asset limits established by the Social Security Administration, then you may be able to file for disability under the Supplemental Security income disability program, a.k.a. SSI.

What are the income limits for SSI?

They can generally be classified in two separate ways: household or family income, and one's personal earned income. For SSI, as well as SSD, an individal must not be earning more than the current earned income limit, which is known as SGA, or substantial gainful activity.

The SGA limit is best thought of as an earnings cutoff limit. It is subject to annual change and to see the current limit, you may wish to visit this page: How much can you earn and still receive disability?.

The second type of income that may affect one's non-medical eligibility for SSI benefits is any income brought into the household by the applicant's spouse. Since SSI is a need-based program, a spouse's income may be partially counted, or "deemed", toward the total countable income of an SSI applicant. Whether or not a spouse's income may make an SSI applicant ineligible under the non-medical criteria can be determined by the social security office where the disability application is being filed.

What are the asset limits for an SSI applicant?

There is a limit of having $2000 in countable assets for a single person and a limit of $3000 in total countable assets for an SSI applicant if they are married. Countable assets generally include any real property (homes) other than one's residence and any vehicles other than one's primary transportation. Liquid assets such as money in bank accounts and the surrender value of insurance policies are generally considered to be among countable assets.

SSI disability is also available for children whose parents meet the income and resource limits. Children whose parent's income and assets (i.e. resources) do not exceed the specified limits will be granted monthly SSI benefits provided that they are determined to be disabled, either by a disability examiner or by a federal judge at a disability hearing (for information on the eligibility of children: How to apply for social security disability benefits for children ).

How difficult is it to win SSI benefits if you are an adult or child? No more difficult than it would be to win benefits under the social security disability program. As was stated, the requirements are identical for both programs.

To learn more about the process of determining eligibility for either SSD or SSI disability benefits, you may wish to visit one of these pages:

1) How does Social Security Decide if I am Disabled?

2) Proving Functional Limitations and why this is Important on a Disability Case.

One of the primary differences between SSD and SSI are that individuals who are approved for social security disability are granted medicare benefits while individuals who are approved for SSI are granted medicaid.

Also, SSI benefits are capped, meaning that there is a maximum amount that an individual can receive and this amount is standardized for all recipients. SSD benefits, on the other hand, are based entirely on a claimant's past earning's record.

Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page

Individual Questions and Answers

If I Get Approved For Disability And Later Get Another condition, Can My Benefits Be Increased And Go Up?

How long does it take receive disability benefits after you are approved?

Is There Social Security Disability For Children?

Can my Social Security Disability or SSI benefits be stopped or cutoff ?

How does the Social Security Disability Review work?

How Likely are You to Win Your Disability Case?

List of Impairments for Social Security Disability and SSI Benefits

Has my Disability Claim Been Approved?

Applying for disability benefits in Indiana

How Disabled Must You be to get Social Security Disability Approved?

What Do I Do to File a Social Security Disability Appeal

The Psychologist Exam for Social Security Disability and SSI Claims

Can I Receive Disability Benefits with Back problems?

How Does A Social Security Disability Examiner Work to Determine a Person’s State of Health?

What Disabilities Qualify for SSI Disability Benefits?

What If I Do Not Have Enough Work Credits For Social Security Benefits?

What is Social Security Back Pay?

If you are applying for Social Security disability when does Medicare start ?

Why was I denied social security disability?

If I Apply For Disability And Go Back To Work, Do I Need To Report This?

Can You Receive Social Security Disability Or SSI Benefits At the Same Time As VA or Veterans’ Benefits?

SSI Benefits - what do they include and how long does it take

Social Security Disability Claim Denied and what to do about it

Do You Get Disability Benefits From The First Time You Applied?

What makes you disabled for SSD, Social Security Disability Benefits, OR SSI?

Do Most Social Security Disability Reconsiderations Get Turned Down?

Do you get medical health care coverage with SSI ?

Your Medical Condition and Social Security Disability or SSI

Disability Hearings - how many are won?

Do You have A Chance Of Losing Disability Benefits If Your Case Gets Reviewed?

How does Social Security consider lupus as a disability?

COPD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits

The non-medical Disability Requirements for SSD and SSI

Why was I denied social security disability?

What determines how long I can keep my Disability Benefits under SSD or SSI?

What do you if you get a disability claim denial? - Requirements for Disability

How Does Social Security Disability Make Its Decision?

The Time Involved on a Social Security Disability Decision

Applying for disability benefits in Rhode Island

What is the process to file a Social Security Disability appeal?

Am I Eligible For Social Security Disability?

Does Your Doctor Decide If You Get Disability?

Hiring a Qualified Disability Lawyer in Maryland

Denied For Social Security Disability Because I Can Work -- What are my Options?

SSI Benefits-who is Eligible and How do I apply?

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