Am I eligible for benefits?
The primary benefits available through the Social Security Administration are Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Children's Benefits. The medical requirements for SSDI and SSI are the same. However, only those people who have sufficient quarters of earnings in the last ten years are eligible for SSDI.
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In 2023, a person who earned at least $1,640 in a three month period will receive a credit for that quarter. A person with five years of credits is eligible for SSDI for five years after they stop working. The last date of eligibility is called the Date Last Insured (DLI).
If you have stopped working, you must prove your claim within five years of your stop date if you were working full time.
If you were not working full time prior to stopping work, you may have less than five years to prove your claim.
If you have never worked, then you must prove that you were disabled prior to age twenty two to be eligible for SSDI.
If you are not eligible for SSDI then you may still be eligible for SSI.