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If you have a medical or mental impairment that prevents you from maintaining employment, you may be considering filing for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration. You may also be aware that Social Security has a disability program called SSI, but are wondering how you can qualify for disability and file under this disability program. In the next few paragraphs I am going to define SSI and explain how to qualify and file for this Social Security Administration program. Firstly, what is SSI? SSI is a need-based disability program; and as with all need-based programs, income and resource limits govern an individual’s potential eligibility for SSI. Each year, Social Security sets income and resource limits (land, bank accounts, trust funds, stocks, bonds, vehicles, homes, etc., that are owned by you or your spouse) for the Supplemental Income disability program. Income may include such things as earnings, short term disability, long term disability, your spouse’s income, VA benefits, and pensions. Additionally, if you receive monetary help from relatives or friends, it may be counted as income as well. If your income and/or resources are under the set limits, you have met an important non-disability qualification for SSI disability. What do I mean by this? Non-disability qualifications can prevent you from receiving SSI even if you are found medically disabled by the state disability agency due to income and resources. Secondly, how do you file for SSI? You file for SSI disability just as you do Social Security disability. You must first file for disability with the Social Security Administration. You may conduct your disability interview in person at your local Social Security office or via the telephone. During this interview, a Social Security claims representative will determine if you are eligible to file for SSI or not. By this I mean that your application for SSI disability will be denied at this point if you do not meet the income and resource limits. If you meet the income and resource requirements, you may be eligible to file for SSI. Thirdly, how can you qualify for SSI disability? You must be found medically disabled through the normal Social Security disability process, which means once you have completed your disability interview with Social Security, your disability file is sent to a state agency for a medical determination. If the state disability agency finds that you are medically eligible to receive disability benefits, your disability file is returned to your local Social Security office for an “end of the line” interview known as a perc. During this interview, a Social Security claims representative will determine if you still meet the SSI income and resource limits. Of course, if you still meet these limits you are eligible to receive SSI disability benefits. 
Social Security Disability and SSI Disability Information
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