Eligibility for Social Security Disability Benefits

There are two fundamental eligibility requirements for Social Security Disability. First, you must be able to prove that you are disabled, as defined by the SSA. Second, you must have either earned enough work credits to be considered "insured" under the SSDI program or your income and assets must be low enough to qualify for the SSI program.

With regard to work credits and financial eligibility, SSDI (Social Security disability insurance) is a program that workers pay Social Security taxes into over many years, while SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a program that any individual can qualify for, regardless of their work history, if they have low enough resources.