Getting approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) isn’t easy. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a detailed five-step process to evaluate your case. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to go through:
Step 1: Are You Earning Too Much?
First, the SSA checks if you are earning too much money. If you’re working and making over $1,550 a month in 2025 (for non-blind applicants) through “Substantial Gainful Activity” (SGA), you won’t qualify for SSDI benefits. No matter how serious your health condition, this rule applies.
Step 2: Is Your Condition Severe Enough?
Next, the SSA assesses whether your condition is severe enough. To move forward, you must have a doctor-diagnosed physical or mental impairment that limits your ability to do basic work activities and is expected to last at least a year or result in death.
If your condition isn’t severe enough, the process stops here, and your SSDI application won’t be approved.
Step 3: Does Your Condition Match SSA’s Blue Book Listings?
This is the critical medical hurdle. The SSA refers to a “Blue Book” that lists conditions eligible for SSDI. If your condition matches a Blue Book listing, you could be approved quickly. However, many legitimate disabilities don’t perfectly fit these strict criteria, which means you’ll have to move on to the next step.
Step 4: What Can You Still Do?
The SSA then looks at your “Residual Functional Capacity” (RFC)—how much work you can still do despite your limitations. If you can still perform any of your past jobs, even with the RFC, you’ll likely be denied. Only applicants who can’t return to their previous work will move forward in the process.
Step 5: Can You Do Any Other Work?
In the final step, the SSA examines if you can perform any other kind of work. Using your RFC, along with factors like your age, education, and work skills, the SSA will consider whether there is suitable work available for you.
This can vary greatly depending on your situation—someone with less formal education may have fewer options than a college graduate. If the SSA determines no suitable work exists, you’ll be approved for SSDI.
Work Credits: Your Path to SSDI Eligibility
SSDI is not welfare; it’s something you earn. To apply, you need “work credits” earned by paying FICA taxes. Typically, you need 40 credits, with 20 earned in the 10 years prior to becoming disabled.
If you’re younger, the requirements are lower—disabled before age 24? You might only need 6 credits from the last 3 years. In 2025, you earn one credit for every $1,810 in covered wages, up to a maximum of four credits per year.
What Conditions Are Most Likely to Be Approved?
Some conditions have higher approval rates than others. Here’s a look at the most common:
- Mental Disorders (34.6%): Conditions like schizophrenia, severe depression, and bipolar disorder, when they impair your ability to focus, work with people, or manage stress.
- Musculoskeletal Problems (30.1%): Conditions like chronic back pain, severe arthritis, and spinal issues, which significantly limit mobility and daily activities.
- Sensory/Speech Issues (~10%): Conditions like legal blindness or severe hearing loss that impairs speech. Legal blindness often leads to automatic approval.
- Serious Heart Conditions (6.8%): Heart failure, coronary artery disease, and other heart issues that make it impossible to handle even light physical effort.
- Cancer (3%): Advanced or aggressive cancers, such as pancreatic or metastatic cancer, are often fast-tracked for approval due to their predictable severity through the “Compassionate Allowances” program.
- Severe Diabetes (Endocrine – 2.3%): Complications from diabetes, such as nerve damage, kidney failure, or blindness, can result in approval.
- Lung Diseases (Respiratory – 2.4%): Conditions like COPD or cystic fibrosis, where impaired lung function prevents any form of work.
- Kidney Failure (1.7%): Needing dialysis is an automatic qualifier for SSDI.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders (Digestive – 1.4%): Chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis that cause severe pain, fatigue, and interruptions to work.
- Neurological & Immune System Disorders: Diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, advanced lupus, or HIV/AIDS need to show they impact your ability to function. Notably, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) is automatically approved under the Compassionate Allowances program.
The SSDI process is challenging and requires meeting strict criteria, but understanding the steps and knowing which conditions are most likely to be approved can help you navigate the system more effectively.
If your condition doesn’t fit neatly into the SSA’s rules, you’ll still have the chance to prove your limitations through the residual functional capacity assessment and the vocational grid. Just be prepared for a tough journey and consider getting professional help if needed.
