Can I get disability if I have never worked?



Can I get disability if I have never worked?



 
Social Security has a disability program especially for children and individuals who have not worked, worked very little, or have not worked in many years. This disability program is based on need rather than the insured status required by SSDI.

While the SSI disability program does not require you to have worked, you must meet income and resource limits. If you are part of a couple, your spouse's income and resources will be evaluated and counted toward your eligibility. In the case of a child, parental income and resources are evaluated to determine the eligibility of the child.

SSI disability applicants have to go through the same medical disability determination process as those who are filing for SSDI. You will have to provide Social Security with your treatment information including your doctors, tests, and the medication you are taking. If you have never worked, you will have no job information to provide. However, if you have worked in the past fifteen years information about this work is needed for your SSI claim even if you are not eligible for SSDI.



Once your application has been completed, your disability case is sent to a state disability agency for a medical determination. The disability examiner will get the medical evidence from the medical sources you provided during your disability interview.

If this is not enough medical information, they will schedule you for a consultative examination. Once they have enough medical information, they will make their disability determination. You will receive a decisional letter in the mail.

If you are medically approved for disability, your disability claim will be sent back to your local office so that they can contact you to do an end line interview to make sure you still meet the income and resource limits of the SSI disability program. During this interview, they will address other SSI non-medical issues and put your disability into pay status if you are still eligible.


About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here.







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