United States Benefit

Social Security Disability Insurance

Also known as: SSDI, Disability Insurance

SSDI pays benefits to you and certain family members if you are "insured," meaning you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.

At a Glance

  • Must have a medical condition that meets SSA's strictdefinition of disability and is expected to ...
  • Must have earned enough recent work credits(generally 20 credits in the last 10 years).
  • Must meet duration of work requirements based on ageat disability onset.
  • Cannot be engaged in substantial gainful activity(earning more than $1,550/month in 2025, or $2,5...
  • + 1 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Disability Determination

Required

Must have a medical condition that meets SSA's strictdefinition of disability and is expected to last at least12 months or result in death.

has_ssa_disability = true

Recent Work Credits

Required

Must have earned enough recent work credits(generally 20 credits in the last 10 years).

recent_work_credits 20

Duration of Work

Required

Must meet duration of work requirements based on ageat disability onset.

lifetime_work_credits 6

Substantial Gainful Activity

Required

Cannot be engaged in substantial gainful activity(earning more than $1,550/month in 2025, or $2,590 if blind).

monthly_earnings < 1550 dollars

Under Full Retirement Age

Required

Must be under full retirement age (SSDI converts toretirement benefits at full retirement age).

age < 67

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

View as JSON
{"service_id":"ssdi","effective_date":"2024-01-01","rules":[{"id":"disability-definition","key":"has_ssa_disability","operator":"equals","value":true,"requirement":"required","label":"Disability Determination","description":"Must have a medical condition that meets SSA's strict\ndefinition of disability and is expected to last at least\n12 months or result in death.\n","source_url":"https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html"},{"id":"work-credits-recent","key":"recent_work_credits","operator":"greater_than_or_equal","value":20,"requirement":"required","label":"Recent Work Credits","description":"Must have earned enough recent work credits\n(generally 20 credits in the last 10 years).\n","source_url":"https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html"},{"id":"work-credits-duration","key":"lifetime_work_credits","operator":"greater_than_or_equal","value":6,"requirement":"required","label":"Duration of Work","description":"Must meet duration of work requirements based on age\nat disability onset.\n"},{"id":"not-working-sga","key":"monthly_earnings","operator":"less_than","value":1550,"unit":"dollars","requirement":"required","label":"Substantial Gainful Activity","description":"Cannot be engaged in substantial gainful activity\n(earning more than $1,550/month in 2025, or $2,590 if blind).\n","source_url":"https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html"},{"id":"age-limit","key":"age","operator":"less_than","value":67,"requirement":"required","label":"Under Full Retirement Age","description":"Must be under full retirement age (SSDI converts to\nretirement benefits at full retirement age).\n"}]}

Quick Info

Agency
SSA
Category
Disability
Last Verified
2026-01-13

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