Social Security Eligibility for SSD and SSI Benefits

Under the law, a person may receive two main social security gov benefits: social security disability (SSD) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. To be eligible for the SSD SSI benefits, a qualified person must also pass the criteria required by the Social Security Administration.

Other Social Security Benefits

Other social security benefits also include the following:

• retirement benefits to those age 62 and older
• survivor benefits to family members of deceased workers
• health care coverage through Medicare

Eligibility for SSI and Disability

However, the criteria for the two main benefits differ from each other. Social security disability benefits are given to persons who have worked and paid into the system to become insured for social security benefits, or if their insured status has lapsed, their impairment or disability must have begun before the time their insured status had lapsed.

On the other hand, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is given to those who are not covered or insured for social security benefits. These include people who cannot fend for themselves and need assistance like SSI for children, the blind, elderly, and the unemployed. SSI beneficiaries may also include individuals who were once insured for social security disability and whose insured status had expired, and also insured individuals whose benefit amount are fairly small.

Criteria for SSI and Disability Benefits

To receive any of these benefits, the following basic criteria must be met:

• A person must have a condition or disability that prevents him/her from working (for at least 12 months) at a recent or past job.
• The condition of impairment or disability must prevent him/her from doing any other type of work, which makes him eligible for disability.

In addition, a person may be eligible to receive disability benefits if he/she meets the following requirements:

• The person must have worked and paid social security taxes.
• His/her medical condition must prevent the person from returning to a job or performing other work.
• The medical condition must result in a disability that will last for a long time or permanently, and the disability could lead to death.

Supplemental Security Income Eligibility

On the other hand, to be eligible for SSI benefits, an individual must be 65 years or older, blind, disabled and must have financial need.

In determining SSI eligibility, an individual’s income and assets are also taken into consideration. In calculating income, this often includes an individual’s earnings, social security benefits, pension payments, and other non-cash items like food, clothing, shelter and other items that a person owns.

SSI Income Requirements

Furthermore, to be eligible for a SSI benefit, a person’s monthly income must not exceed more than the current Federal benefit rate (FBR), which amounts are set by law and may increase based on cost-of-living adjustment and state supplements.

To provide additional assistance to qualified persons including those whose income levels are above the SSI standards, some states have their own program to supplement SSI benefits. The state of California, for instance, has a program known as the State Supplemental Program, whose purpose is to help poor Californians who are unable to work but whose needs are not met by other federal or state programs.

To know if you are eligible to receive social security benefits under the criteria set by law, you have to consult with an experienced social security lawyer or go to www.ssi.org

• This article is provided for informational purposes only. If you need help with an Social Security question, click here to consult with a Rodney Mesriani or a Social Security lawyer in your area.