Medical Eligibility for Disability Benefits

To qualify for disability benefits (either SSDI or SSI), you must prove you have a severe, medically determinable impairment that limits your functioning to such an extent that you aren't able to work. To prove that your impairment is severely limiting, you'll need to submit medical evidence from acceptable medical sources. Disablity Determination Services (DDS, a state agency that evaluates disability claims for the SSA) then analyzes each claim with a five-step evaluation process.