Eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance

To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, a person must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) as a result of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment. The 2025 monthly SGA amounts are $1,620 for nonblind individuals and $2,700 for blind individuals. A person who is earning more than these amounts is generally considered to be engaging in SGA. The medical condition must be expected to last at least one year or result in death. In addition, the individual must have worked long enough and recently enough to qualify for SSDI.

Once an individual is approved for SSDI, there is a five-month waiting period between the onset of the disability and when the beneficiary is eligible to receive benefits. Twenty-four months after receiving benefits (29 months since the onset of the disability), beneficiaries are also eligible for Medicare. This includes Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part C (Medicare Advantage), and Part D (Prescription Drugs). These waiting periods create significant hardships for many beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may be forced to draw down their life savings to pay for basic necessities or forgo needed medical care.

The program currently excludes some people in need. Social Security does not provide temporary disability insurance. This would partially compensate for lost wages resulting from pregnancy and temporary non-occupational disabilities. Nor does it provide benefits for permanent impairments that limit but do not preclude work. A 21st-century disability policy could emphasize people’s ability to work rather than forcing people who need assistance to prove that they are permanently and totally disabled.