What Are the Rules and Requirements for Social Security Disability Cases?

The rules and requirements for Social Security disability cases are fairly simple. Essentially, to be eligible for either SSDI or SSI disability benefits, claimants must be financially eligible and medically eligible.

Medical vs. Legal/Financial Rules

When deciding your disability claim, the Social Security Administration (SSA) looks to medical issues (that is, whether your illness or injury is disabling) and legal/financial issues (that is, whether you have earned enough credits for SSDI or have low enough income and assets for SSI). Other rules also apply to disability cases.

Learn more about the eligibility rules for social security disability

Medical Issues

A claimant must have a medical condition that is severe and either:

• meets the requirements of a Social Security impairment listing
• prevents them from working at any of their past jobs, or
• prevents them from doing any other job, given their education, age, and skills.

Another important rule is that a claimant's disability must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least one year for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits to be awarded. For more information, see our article on qualifying medically for disability.

Financial Issues

On the legal/financial side, if claimants earn a certain amount of money per month, they are considered to be gainfully employed, and therefore not eligible for benefits. To learn what amount is considered "substantial gainful activity (SGA)," see our article on the SGA earnings limit for disability. For SSI, there are additional asset and family income limits.