One of the most common questions we hear is: “What’s the difference between SSI and SSD?”
While both programs fall under the umbrella of Social Security disability benefits, they serve very different purposes and have different eligibility requirements. Understanding the key distinctions can help you or a loved one determine the right path to financial support.
What Is SSI?
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a needs-based program. That means your eligibility depends largely on your household income and assets, not just your own, but that of anyone living in your home.
To qualify for SSI:
You must be disabled.
You cannot own more than one house and one car.
You cannot have more than $2,000 in a bank account.
You cannot have assets that can be easily converted to cash (like insurance policies or tools).
Importantly, SSI benefits cannot be paid for any time before your application date. And if you’re eligible for any other type of payment, early retirement, insurance payouts, etc., you must apply for those as well.
What Is SSD (SSDI)?
SSD (also referred to as SSDI or Social Security Disability Insurance) is based on your work history. If you paid into Social Security through your job, you earned credits (up to 4 per year).
To be eligible:
You must have earned enough work credits. (You need 20 out of 40 quarters of coverage to be insured.)
You must prove you became disabled before your credits expired (this is called your Date Last Insured).
You must have worked and paid in to social security at least five of the last ten years before your disability began
SSD benefits can be paid retroactively for up to one year before your application date, but you won’t receive payments for the first five months of your disability. Your SSD amount is based on how much you paid into Social Security over your working years.
Additional Key Points
If you’re approved for even $1 of SSI, you’re automatically eligible for Medicaid.
SSD recipients become eligible for Medicare after 29 months (a 5-month waiting period plus 2 years).
The maximum SSI benefit in 2025 is $967 per month.
If you qualify for both SSD and SSI, you’ll receive the higher of the two benefits, not both combined.
SSI is impacted by all sources of income, including inheritances, lottery winnings, and even the sale of personal items.
If you try to “spend down” assets below market value to qualify for SSI, it may result in a delay penalty.
When applying for both programs, SSI is processed first, and Social Security will contact you directly to review your income and resources.
Need Help Navigating the Disability Process?
Understanding your eligibility and maximizing your benefits can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in. The advocates at Disability Help Group are here to guide you through every step of the process and help ensure you receive the benefits you deserve.
Call us today for a FREE consultation at (800) 800-3332 or click here to fill out our contact form. We’re here to help!
This article was written and fact-checked by Jennifer Walker, a Senior Disability Advocate with extensive experience in Social Security disability. All information reflects current SSA guidelines and real-world case knowledge to help you better understand your rights and options.
I Was Wrongfully Denied Disability: What Should I Do?
If you have been denied Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI) and believe you should have been eligible, you are far from alone. More than 60% of Social Security Disability claims are initially denied. Many people who are initially denied disability benefits ultimately win benefits on appeal. However, that requires prompt action after you receive a denial notice.
Too many people miss their window to request reconsideration or request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). Most people who miss their opportunity to appeal can apply for disability benefits again. However, when that happens, you lose back benefits, potentially thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. And, depending on when you last worked and when you became disabled, you could lose eligibility entirely.
First Steps After You’ve Been Denied Disability
The first thing you should do when you’ve been denied disability is to check the deadline for requesting reconsideration. Reconsideration is the first level of appeal in the Social Security system.
Next, you will need to understand the reason you were denied disability. There are two different broad types of Social Security Disability Benefits denials. The first is a technical denial, and the second is a medical denial. Your options and next steps after you’ve been denied disability will differ depending on which type of denial you have received.
Technical Denials of Social Security Disability Benefits
When most people think about being denied disability, they are focused on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) determination as to whether or not they are disabled. However, there are other threshold issues to be determined before the SSA even looks to see whether or not a person is medically disabled.
Work Credits
A person can qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits only if they have accrued sufficient work credits. The number of work credits required to receive Social Security Disability Benefits varies depending on the applicant’s age at the time they became disabled. For most workers, 40 work credits are required. Of those, 20 must be “recent.” In this context, recent means within the 10 years leading up to the person becoming disabled.
You will often hear 40 work credits described as 10 years of work. However, it is actually a little more complicated than that. Social Security work credits are based on earnings, not the passage of time. While you can only earn four work credits per year, you don’t necessarily have to work the full year in order to earn four work credits. For example, in 2025 it takes $1,810 in earnings to equal one work credit. So, if you are earning $5,000 a month, you could accrue four work credits in less than 60 days. The Social Security Administration will not look to see how many weeks or months of the year you worked, but will look at your total earnings for the year.
If you truly don’t have sufficient work credits to qualify for Social Security Disability, you cannot change that. You will not be eligible for benefits. However, mistakes happen. If your notice says that you have been disqualified due to insufficient work credits, carefully review your record to see whether there may be work history that is not included in your record or there are incorrect dates associated with your past work.
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
To meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of “disabled” you must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity. This is assessed in more detail if you reach the medical stage of the analysis. However, as a threshold issue, the SSA will disqualify you from receiving disability benefits if you are currently earning in excess of the SGA cut off. That number changes each year. In 2025, the cutoff for substantial gainful activity is $1,620 a month. If you are blind, that number is increased to $2,700 per month.
If you were earning more than the SGA cut off at the time you applied for Social Security disability but are no longer earning at that level, your income is sporadic or short-term, or your medical condition is worsening and you will be unable to sustain that work, you should speak to an experienced Social Security Disability Benefits advocate about how to proceed.
Medical Denials
Being medically denied disability is more complicated. The SSA takes two different approaches to determining whether you are medically considered disabled. The first is to assess whether your medical condition meets or equals a listing in the Social Security Blue Book. If you meet the criteria for a Blue Book listing, you will typically be determined to be disabled.
If you do not meet a Blue Book listing, you may still qualify. The SSA will take a more holistic approach that considers your work history, age, educational level and transferability of past job skills. If the SSA determines that you are unable to return to your previous work and it is not realistic for you to transfer your skills to another profession or retrain for different work, you may still be deemed disabled even though you did not meet a Blue Book listing.
Common Mistakes After You’ve Been Denied Disability
As mentioned above, the biggest mistake people make after being denied disability is not acting within the time frame allowed to request reconsideration or request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Another common mistake is to pass up the opportunity to provide supplemental information or explanation that could make a difference in your claim.
For example, when you file a request for reconsideration, you are not required to provide any additional information. In reconsideration, a different person at the Social Security Administration will review your claim from scratch. However, you do have the opportunity to provide supplemental medical records and other updates that could strengthen your claim. You don’t want to waste that opportunity.
Another mistake that impacts many people’s Social Security disability appeals is trying to handle the appeal on their own. An experienced Social Security disability benefits advocate can help you understand why you were denied disability and can put their experience to work helping you assemble the type of information the SSA will be looking for.
To learn more about how an experienced Social Security disability benefits advocate at Disability Help Group can help you submit the strongest possible request for reconsideration or appeal, call us today at 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
If you’re applying for or considering applying for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, you’ve probably heard that denial rates are high. You may also know that if you appeal, you can wait a long time for a hearing. What you may not know is that both approval rates and the wait time for an appeal hearing differ based on geography. In other words, the chances of an initial SSD claim being approved are higher in some states than others. In fact, approval rates can vary from office to office or ALJ to ALJ within a state.
In 2024, approval rates for initial claims for SSD only ranged from 34.8% in the state with the lowest approval rate to 57.4%. Just five states had initial SSD approval rates higher than 50%:
New Hampshire – 57.4%
North Dakota – 56%
Vermont – 54%
Nebraska – 52.7%
Rhode Island – 51.5%
Most states had initial SSD application approval rates of between 40% and 50%. But, a handful of states had rates below 40%, including:
The states with the highest and lowest approval rates for Social Security disability benefits are listed above, but what if you live in and are applying for disability benefits in one of the dozens of other U.S. states? Here are the Q1 2024 approval rates for every state in the U.S., as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Alaska
49.8
Alabama
42.5
Arkansas
43.9
Arizona
34.8
California
42.5
Colorado
41
Connecticut
49.2
District of Columbia
45.8
Delaware
44.7
Florida
39.6
Georgia
39.4
Hawai’i
41.5
Iowa
48.7
Idaho
41.8
Illinois
46.3
Indiana
49.8
Kansas
48.4
Kentucky
40.6
Louisiana
45.9
Massachusetts
45.3
Maryland
47.2
Maine
46.4
Michigan
48.6
Minnesota
48.2
Missouri
47.5
Mississippi
46.7
Montana
43.5
North Carolina
40.8
North Dakota
56
Nebraska
52.7
New Hampshire
57.4
New Jersey
43.3
New Mexico
46.2
Nevada
38.8
New York
44.8
Ohio
44.1
Oklahoma
39.7
Oregon
47.9
Pennsylvania
46.4
Puerto Rico
46.1
Rhode Island
51.5
South Carolina
45.5
South Dakota
45.3
Tennessee
38.3
Texas
43.5
Utah
45.1
Virginia
48.9
Vermont
54
Washington
45.9
Wisconsin
49.8
West Virginia
41.7
Wyoming
47.3
Why are State SSD Approval Rates So Different?
It may surprise you that approval rates vary so much from state to state, given that Social Security disability is a federal program with a consistent set of requirements and eligibility criteria. There are several factors that may play a role in the SSD approval rate in a given state. It’s also worth noting that state populations vary significantly, meaning that the sample sizes are much different. For example, in Alaska, 313 initial SSD-only claims were decided in Q1 of 2024. During the same time period, more than 16,000 such claims were decided in California. A larger sample size makes the data more likely to be a reliable predictor.
Outcomes in a given state may be affected by variables such as:
How strictly applications are assessed by the team responsible for a particular location, which can vary based both on local procedures and on the individuals conducting the review
Access to quality medical care in the area, which in turn impacts the applicant’s ability to assemble solid medical documentation–insufficient documentation may delay claims or result in denial
The average age of the population, since older claimants are more likely to be approved
The educational level of the population, since workers with higher levels of education are generally considered better able to adapt to other work if they can no longer perform their previous work
The availability of quality assistance with the application process, which can make a significant difference in approval rates because an experienced advocate can ensure that the applicant avoids common mistakes and knows what type of documentation the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be looking for.
While it may be useful to know what to expect in terms of the likelihood of approval at the initial application stage in your state, it’s more important to focus on the factors that are within your control.
While most disabled workers aren’t in a position to relocate to a more favorable state to improve their odds of SSD approval, there are many steps you can take to strengthen your application. For example, you can:
Reliably see your doctor and any necessary specialists, ensuring that you’ve established a thorough record of your condition
Follow through with testing and treatment recommendations, to avoid the SSA deciding that they don’t have enough information about what your medical condition would be with property treatment to deem you disabled
Assemble a complete, effective application with the right type of documentation
Respond promptly to any requests from the SSA, such as a request for additional records or to undergo a specific test or exam
Know when to get help
An Experienced Disability Benefits Advocate Can Help
The SSD application process can be daunting. As you can see above, more than half of applications are denied in most states. Often, those denials could have been avoided. You can’t afford to make mistakes or omit important supporting evidence.
Fortunately, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Whether you are preparing to file a Social Security disability benefits application for the first time or have been denied and want to pursue a request for reconsideration or appeal, Disability Help Group is here for you. We help people with SSD applications and appeals every day, and have in-depth knowledge of both processes and how to assemble the documentation the SSA will want to see. To learn more about how our experienced disability benefits advocates can help you submit the strongest possible application, request for reconsideration or appeal, call 800-800-3332 right now, or fill out our contact form here.
2025 Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
Social Security disability benefits are an important resource for people in the United States who can no longer earn a living due to an injury or medical condition. There’s a lot to know about disability, from how you qualify to when you can expect payment to how much you’ll receive in benefits.
Here are three charts to help you understand what to expect.
Social Security Disability Benefits Pay Chart
In the “old days,” Social Security disability benefits were paid on the 3rd of the month, unless that date fell on a weekend or holiday. However, nearly 30 years ago, the Social Security Administration (SSA) broke up the payment schedule. Now, most recipients’ payment dates depend on when they were born–not how old they are, but the day of the month they were born.
Here’s how it breaks out:
If you…..
Your benefits are paid on…
Started receiving benefits before 1997, regardless of your birth date
The 3rd day of the month following the benefit month
Were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997
The 2nd Wednesday of the month following the benefit month
Were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997
The third Wednesday of the month following the benefit month
Were born on the 21st through the 31st of the month and started receiving benefits after 1997
The fourth Wednesday of the month following the benefit month
If the scheduled pay date lands on a weekend or holiday, benefits will be paid on the last business day before the scheduled date. This arises more often for SSI recipients and disability recipients on the old payment schedule, since the Wednesday schedule avoids weekends and several federal holidays.
Average Social Security Disability Pay
The amount you receive in monthly Social Security disability benefits will depend on your work history. Your benefit is calculated using the 10 highest-earning years of your working life, so if you had higher earnings during your career–even if it wasn’t stable across all of your working years–your benefits will be higher.
In May of 2025, the average benefit for all disabled workers was $1,581.97/month. The average benefit for disability recipients newly awarded benefits during that month was $1,737.81/month. However, those averages vary by state. Here are the state-by-state averages for disabled worker benefits as reported by the SSA in 2024.
State
Average Monthly Disability Benefit
Alabama
$1,507.49
Alaska
$1,523.18
Arizona
$1,597.07
Arkansas
$1,469.77
California
$1,579.42
Colorado
$1,549.58
Connecticut
$1,608.41
Delaware
$1,662.86
District of Columbia
$1,378.29
Florida
$1,578.85
Georgia
$1,538.65
Hawai’i
$1,585.85
Idaho
$1,512.08
Illinois
$1,546.15
Indiana
$1,530.25
Iowa
$1,463.71
Kansas
$1,489.09
Kentucky
$1,500.39
Louisiana
$1,471.70
Maine
$1,450.74
Maryland
$1,599.45
Massachusetts
$1,548.85
Michigan
$1,563.70
Minnesota
$1,529.74
Mississippi
$1,465.46
Missouri
$1,493.45
Montana
$1,463.41
Nebraska
$1,442.38
Nevada
$1,623.33
New Hampshire
$1,586.41
New Jersey
$1,711.30
New Mexico
$1,449.88
New York
$1,599.71
North Carolina
$1,539.66
North Dakota
$1,440.39
Ohio
$1,474.77
Oklahoma
$1,474.82
Oregon
$1,510.19
Pennsylvania
$1,548.78
Rhode Island
$1,520.22
South Carolina
$1,567.72
South Dakota
$1,444.26
Tennessee
$1,501.73
Texas
$1,515.53
Utah
$1,525.77
Vermont
$1,449.45
Virginia
$1,550.88
Washington
$1,549.05
West Virginia
$1,515.56
Wisconsin
$1,513.08
Wyoming
$1,535.81
While the average from state to state varies by only a few hundred dollars, the range of actual benefits can be much larger. The amount of your Social Security disability benefits will be the same as the amount you would have received in retirement benefits if you’d reached full retirement age. In 2025, the cap for that benefit is $4,108/month.
How Long Does It Take to Get Social Security Disability?
The time it takes to receive Social Security disability benefits depends on whether your initial application is approved or you have to request reconsideration and possibly appeal. If you do have to appeal, it also depends in part on where you live.
The SSA says that, on average, it takes three to five months to get an initial determination. If that application is denied, you’ll have 60 days to submit a request for reconsideration. Processing time for the request for reconsideration is similar to the initial application timeline. If you are denied again on reconsideration, the next step is to request a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The SSA says the average wait time for a hearing is 8-10 months, but that time varies based on location.
As of May of 2025, the gap in wait time has shrunk somewhat compared with recent years. Here are the locations with the shortest and longest average wait times.
Centers with Average Wait Times of 6 Months
Centers with Average Wait Times of 12 Months
Birmingham
Lawrence, MA
Charleston, WV
Santa Barbara
Columbia, MO
Springfield, MA
Evansville
Fort Wayne
Grand Rapids
Houston North
Jackson, MS
Lexington
Kingsport
Louisville
Macon
Mcalester
Memphis
The wait times listed above represent the time it takes to get to a hearing. After an ALJ hearing, you can typically expect to wait a few to several additional months for a decision.
Give Yourself the Best Chance Possible at Approval
If your claim is initially denied and you follow each step within the allowed time, you may still be awarded Social Security disability benefits. And, in most cases, you’ll receive benefits dating back to the filing of your initial application–in some cases, a bit further back. But, waiting months or even years to start receiving benefits can be tough.
Most disability applications are initially denied, and there are no guarantees. But having the right advocate at your side can increase your chances of approval by ensuring that you avoid common pitfalls and provide the strongest evidence possible. To learn more about how Disability Help Group can assist, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
What Conditions Qualify for Social Security Disability?
Many people considering applying for Social Security disability benefits have questions like, “What is considered a disability?” or “What conditions can I get Social Security disability for?” That’s not exactly how the Social Security Administration (SSA) analysis works.
While there is a detailed listing of impairments that may qualify a person for Social Security disability, you may also qualify with a condition that isn’t listed. Or, you may qualify with a combination of listed conditions, even though you don’t meet the criteria for either one separately.
What is Considered a Disability?
The SSA considers a person to be disabled if a medical condition or combination of medical conditions prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) for at least 12 months.
The SSA defines SGA as the ability to earn a certain amount of money on a monthly basis. In 2025, that cut-off is $1,620/month.
Social Security’s Listing of Impairments
The listing of impairments, commonly referred to as the Blue Book, contains detailed listings in fourteen categories. They are:
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common reasons people receive Social Security disability benefits, particularly back problems.
Of course, many people have back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions and are able to work. The SSA only considers you disabled if you can’t engage in SGA because of your medical condition. That’s determined in one of two ways. First, the SSA will look at the Blue Book listing for your condition, if there is one.
Spinal problems caused by compromise of a root nerve
Spinal problems caused by lumbar spinal stenosis
Abnormality of a major joint
Amputation
Soft tissue injury or abnormality
Some non-healing or complex fractures
If your condition isn’t listed or you don’t meet the criteria, the SSA will go on to evaluate whether there is work you can do with your medical limitations, based in part on factors like your age, educational level and past work experience.
If a person meets the SSA listing criteria for blindness, the SGA threshold is increased. In 2025, the SGA cut-off for a blind application is $2,700/month, compared with $1,620/month for other applicants.
As with other categories, it is important to remember that you may still qualify for Social Security disability benefits if your medical condition is not listed, or if you don’t meet the listing criteria for the condition.
Cardiovascular System
Any heart condition that prevents you from earning a living could qualify you for Social Security disability. Some cardiovascular conditions included in the Blue Book include:
Chronic heart failure
Ischemic heart disease
Recurrent arrhythmia
Symptomatic congenital heart disease
Heart transplant
Aortic aneurysm
Chronic venous insufficiency
Peripheral arterial disease
Digestive Disorders
Like other types of conditions, a digestive disorder may or may not qualify you for Social Security disability benefits, depending on the degree of limitation the condition causes. Conditions listed with specific criteria in the Blue Book include:
Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging
Chronic liver disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
Intestinal failure
Weight loss due to any medical condition
Transplant of the:
Liver
Small intestine
Pancreas
Genitourinary Disorders
While the category is much broader, the Blue Book listings for genitourinary disorders are focused on serious kidney-related conditions, including:
The SSA uses different criteria to evaluate chronic kidney disease depending on whether the condition requires dialysis, requires a transplant or involves impairment of kidney function.
Hemolytic anemias, including sickle cell disease and thalassemia
Disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis
Bone marrow failure
Hematological disorders treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplant
Repeated complications of hematological disorders
Skin Disorders
Most skin conditions won’t impair your ability to work, but when they do the SSA may approve Social Security disability benefits. Skin conditions listed with specific criteria for approval include:
Genetic photosensitivity conditions such as xeroderma pigmentosum
Burns
Chronic conditions of the skin or mucous membranes such as chronic skin lesions
Endocrine Disorders
Endocrine disorders cause hormonal imbalances, some of which can be debilitating. Endocrine conditions specifically addressed in the Blue Book include:
Pituitary gland disorders
Thyroid gland disorders
Parathyroid gland disorders
Adrenal gland disorders
Pancreatic gland disorders, including diabetes mellitus
Congenital Disorders Affecting Multiple Body Systems
The only condition the SSA evaluates under this set of criteria is non-mosaic Down Syndrome.
Neurological Disorders
The Blue Book contains listing and criteria for a wide range of neurological conditions, including:
Cancers treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation
Malignant melanoma
A few types of cancer are assessed under the category for the impacted organ or body system. An experienced Social Security disability benefits advocate can explain in greater detail how your particular type of cancer would be evaluated.
Immune System Disorders
Some immune disorders are evaluated under the body systems they impact, while others have criteria spelled out in this section of the Blue Book. These include:
Systemic lupus erythema (SLE)
Systemic vasculitis
Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
Polymyositis and dermatomyositis
Undifferentiated and mixed connective tissue disease
Get the Help You Need with Your Social Security Disability Claim
Whether your Social Security disability claim is evaluated under one of the many Social Security Blue Book listings or the more holistic approach, the process can be complicated. An experienced disability benefits advocate can help ensure that you have the right documentation to support your claim as fully as possible and give you the best chance of approval.
For help with an initial claim or a Social Security disability appeal, call 800-800-3332 right away or click here now.
