Eligibility for SSDI or SSI

Social Security uses both medical disability criteria and non-medical criteria to determine whether you qualify for Social Security disability insurance (SSDI, the program based on work credits) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI, the low-income program).  First, you must be able to prove that you're medically disabled. Second, you must have 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.  

The articles on this page explain who qualifies for SSDI and SSI. Readers will learn about work history and medical requirements, how disabilities are evaluated, income and resource limits for SSI, and the step-by-step process used to determine eligibility for benefits.

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