When Can I Get Emergency Disability Payments From Social Security?

Because people apply for Social Security disability benefits when they become unable to work, many claimants struggle to pay the bills while they're waiting for their decision. And since it may take years before you receive a favorable outcome, some people experience significant hardship that requires emergency financial assistance.

However, Social Security makes emergency disability funding available only under some very specific circumstances where your health and safety may be at risk. If you have limited resources and are applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you might qualify for presumptive disability benefits, emergency advance payments, immediate payments, or other interim assistance while you wait for your case to be decided.

Question: Why Can't I Get Emergency Disability?

Why would the Social Security Administration put information on its site about emergency payments if they're not actually available? My lawyer says I can't get Social Security hardship payments and I shouldn't read this stuff. I suffer from major depression, carpal tunnel, and osteoarthritis, among other health issues. I've spent eight months waiting for a disability hearing date and my savings has almost dried up.

Answer: You Must Show Extreme Hardship

I'm so sorry to hear of your struggles. Unfortunately, depression, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome, even in combination, won't qualify for presumptive disability payments or emergency payments, though it doesn't hurt to ask when you first apply. Likewise, writing a dire need letter to move up your hearing date only works in drastic situations—for example, if you're in foreclosure proceedings with your mortgage lender and facing imminent homelessness. And due to the large number of dire need requests Social Security receives, your letter will need to stand out. Even when they're successful, dire need letters don't guarantee that you'll get approved or provide emergency payments while your case is being decided.

The criteria for getting emergency payments are quite strict. You'll need to show that you're experiencing "extreme hardship" to qualify for emergency assistance payments. Extreme hardship means that without the payment, you risk an immediate threat to your health or safety, such as a lack of food, clothing, medical care, or shelter. Let's take a look at the various ways that Social Security might pay out benefits early.

Presumptive Disability Benefits

If you have a medical impairment that very clearly meets Social Security's definition of disability, and the agency thinks that there's a high likelihood that your claim will be ultimately approved, you may be granted presumptive disability payments (or presumptive blindness payments if you're blind or have very poor eyesight).

Presumptive disability benefits are available only for a few specific conditions that are so debilitating that Social Security will basically assume you'll qualify for disability benefits, based solely on your initial application or interview. Some of the disorders that often qualify for presumptive disability payments include:

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease
• Down syndrome
• amputation of the leg at the hip
• total blindness
• total deafness
• AIDS/HIV
• stroke with continued difficulty walking or using your hands
• terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less
• end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring chronic dialysis
• spinal cord injury with the inability to walk without a walker or bilateral handheld device, and
• severe intellectual disability or autism with the complete inability to take care of yourself (such as toileting, dressing, eating).

Presumptive disability benefits are only available to claimants who are eligible for SSI, so if you've applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you can't get presumptive disability. The benefits can be paid out in one of three ways—in monthly installments for up to six months, as an emergency advance payment, or as a one-time immediate payment. When Social Security approves or denies your claim (or six months have passed, whichever is earlier), your presumptive disability benefits will end. If the agency ends up denying your claim, you won't have to pay back the money.

Emergency Advance Payments of SSI

Social Security can sometimes make one emergency assistance payment to first-time disability claimants who are facing a financial emergency. The agency can make an emergency payment of up to $967 (the federal SSI rate for 2025) if you're due SSI benefits that you haven't yet received or you've been approved for presumptive disability.

Social Security will take the emergency advance payment from the SSI payments that you're owed—typically any back pay you'll receive when you're approved for benefits. If the back pay amount is less than the emergency payment, the agency can subtract the emergency payment from your first six months of SSI payments. (As is the case with presumptive disability, you can't get an emergency advance payment of SSDI.)

Immediate Payments

Social Security can make an immediate payment of SSI or SSDI benefits to those who face a financial emergency. It's usually the field office that makes immediate payments, but only in very critical cases. You can receive an immediate payment if you're due SSI or SSDI benefits that you haven't received yet, were approved for presumptive disability, or you're already receiving benefits but your payment was delayed. The maximum amount you can get in an immediate payment is $2,000 for SSI or $5,000 for SSDI. (POMS SI 02004.100, RS 02801.010). Social Security will recover that amount from your first regular disability check.

How Do I Apply for Emergency Disability?

You can apply for presumptive disability benefits when you file for SSI at your local Social Security field office. (For more information, check out our article on filing for presumptive disability benefits.) If you need an emergency advance or immediate payment, you can also call the national Social Security hotline at 800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the TTY number at 800-325-0778.

Emergency Housing and Other Interim Assistance Resources

Housing insecurity is an all too common problem for many people applying for disability benefits, especially those who qualify for SSI. (Disabled veterans in particular are at a higher risk of becoming unsheltered during the transition between military and civilian life.) While Social Security doesn't directly offer housing aid, other federal and state programs are available that are geared toward helping you keep a roof over your head and the lights on.

Check out the following articles for information on where you can turn for help while your disability claim is decided:

• Housing Assistance for People With Disabilities
• Getting Help With Rent and Utilities
• Interim Public Assistance While Waiting for SSI
• Financial Assistance, Food Stamps, and Help With Medical Bills

In some cases, you may be able to get a small loan while you wait on your disability decision. If you're at a crossroads and not sure what to do, you may want to consider contacting an experienced disability attorney for a free consultation. Disability lawyers don't get paid unless (and until) you do, and they may be able to help you expedite your claim so you can receive benefits more quickly.