To be financially eligible for SSI in 2025, you must have less than $967 of countable earned income if you pay for housing, and less than $645 of countable earned income if you don’t pay for housing. Countable earned income means your income after work incentives have been applied. You must have less than $2,000 in countable resources, which for most people means money in a bank. Watch the video to learn more.
To be medically eligible for SSI, you have to have a medically determinable physical or mental condition and be unable to earn more than $1,620 per month because of your condition. Social Security has an online listing called the Listing of Impairments that lists eligible conditions and tells you the symptoms and severity they expect to see. It’s a good idea to find your condition, or a similar condition, and see if you meet the symptoms and severity, and if you have medical records to show that you do. Watch the video to learn more.
To be eligible for SSDI, you have to have a medically determinable physical or mental condition and be unable to earn more than $1,620 per month because of your condition. You also have to have work history; how much work history you need depends on your age. Watch the video to learn more.
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Tip: Social Security’s main focus for adults is: Does your disability mean that you can’t work? Your application should show that you cannot work, or cannot earn more than $1,620/month, because of your disability.
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Tip: Between 60-70% of initial applications are denied every year. Denials can happen even when the disability is obvious and well-documented.
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