What Are the Non-Medical Requirements for Disability?

In order to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you'll need to show both that you're medically disabled and that you meet the non-medical ("technical") requirements to receive either SSDI or SSI. The non-medical requirements are specific financial criteria that Social Security uses to determine whether you're legally allowed to receive benefits, even if your medical conditions are considered disabling.

If you don't meet the non-medical requirements for at least one of the two disability programs, you can't receive Social Security payments no matter how severe your medical impairments are, so understanding which program you may qualify for before you apply for benefits can save you a lot of time and energy.

What Does It Mean to Meet Non-Medical Disability Requirements for Disability?

Once the Social Security Administration receives an application for disability benefits, one of the first things the agency will look at—well before your medical records—is which disability program you're eligible for, SSDI or SSI. SSDI is available to workers who've paid into the Social Security system for years, while SSI is for low-income applicants who don't qualify for SSDI.

Each program has its own non-medical eligibility requirements. Simply meeting these requirements does not mean that you're disabled, however. It just means that you can legally receive that type of benefit if the agency then determines that you have a medical condition that makes you unable to work full-time.

Non-Medical Requirements for SSDI

As the same suggests, SSDI is a type of insurance program enacted by Congress under Title II of the United States Code (42 U.S.C. §§401-433) and is sometimes referred to as "Title 2" for this reason. To be eligible for SSDI, you must have paid the "insurance premiums"—meaning Social Security taxes—for long enough and recently enough to become "fully insured."

SSDI calculates your insured status by determining whether you have enough work credits to be covered by the program. Work credits are earned (unsurprisingly) by working and paying taxes on your income that go specifically towards the SSDI program, such as FICA or self-employment taxes. Keep in mind that because SSDI is based on your tax contributions, you don't have to be a citizen to qualify—many permanent residents or lawfully present foreign workers can also claim benefits. Learn more about the non-medical requirements for SSDI.

Non-Medical Requirements for SSI

SSI is a needs-based disability benefit established under Title XVI of the United States Code (42 U.S.C. §§1381-1383f), which is why it's sometimes called "Title 16." Because SSI is based on need, not work history, the program has certain low income and asset limits in order to qualify. So if you make too much money—even if it's "unearned income," such as a monthly VA benefit—you won't be eligible for SSI. Likewise, if you have too many assets, including bank accounts, stocks, bonds, or valuables, the agency will consider you "overresourced" for SSI.

Additionally, if you aren't a U.S. citizen, Social Security will look to see if you fall in a "qualifying alien" category. (If you're subject to an active warrant for deportation or removal, you can't get SSI.) For more information, see our articles on the non-medical requirements for SSI.

Medical Requirements for Social Security Disability

As long as you meet the financial and legal requirements for SSDI or SSI, Social Security will go on to make a medical determination on your claim. According to the agency's definition, you're considered disabled when you have a medical impairment that keeps you from working full-time for at least one year.

You can fulfill the medical requirement in one of two ways: by meeting the requirements of a Blue Book listing or by showing that you have a residual functional capacity that rules out all jobs. Learn more about medical eligibility for disability benefits.

Who Decides If You're Eligible for SSDI or SSI?

When you file a disability claim, the application is taken by a claims representative at the Social Security office. Claims reps don't evaluate cases for their medical eligibility, but they'll look at your non-medical eligibility. If the representative finds that you appear technically eligible for either SSDI or SSI, your claim will move on to Disability Determination Services (DDS), or a similarly named agency in your state.

Disability examiners at DDS—with the help of medical consultants—decide whether or not you're medically disabled. If your claim reaches the hearing stage, an administrative law judge will make your disability determination using testimony from vocational experts (and, occasionally, medical experts).

What Happens If I Don't Meet the Non-Medical Requirements?

If you aren't legally allowed to receive SSDI or SSI benefits, you'll get a "technical denial" in the mail. The "Notice of Disapproved Claim" will state why you don't meet the non-medical requirements for disability such as not having enough work credits for SSDI or having too many resources for SSI.

You can appeal a technical denial, but it's challenging—you can't change your earnings history in order to qualify for SSDI, for example. But Social Security does make mistakes, and they may have erroneously calculated your income and assets or missed some important paperwork. If you think that the agency is wrong about you not meeting the non-medical requirements, you have 60 days from receiving the denial letter to appeal the decision.