Disability Benefits
Too sick or injured to work? Plain-English guides to Social Security disability — how SSDI and SSI work and differ, how Social Security defines disability, how to apply and what medical evidence you need, the five-step evaluation and the Listings, what to do when you are denied and how the appeals and hearing work, your back pay and Medicare, and the rules for working while on benefits. The framework is federal, but the dollar figures change every year, so confirm current amounts at ssa.gov. General information, not legal or medical advice.
Browse by situation
50 guides on SSDI and SSI — applying, the medical proof, denials and appeals, your benefits and back pay, and working while on disability — across 6 topics.
Disability Benefits Basics
Start here: what SSDI and SSI are and how they differ, how Social Security defines disability, the work credits that make you insured for SSDI versus the income and resource limits for SSI, how long benefits last, and the myths that stop people from applying.
9 guides →Applying for Disability
How to file and give your claim its best shot: the three ways to apply, the medical evidence that decides claims, the five-step evaluation Social Security uses, the function report and consultative exam, your doctor’s role, how long it takes, and applying for a child.
9 guides →Qualifying Conditions & Medical Proof
How Social Security judges whether your condition is disabling: the Listing of Impairments, meeting versus equaling a listing, your residual functional capacity and the grid rules, how age changes the odds, and what it takes to win with back pain, mental illness, or chronic pain.
9 guides →Denials & Appeals
Most claims are denied at first — this is how you fight back: why claims get denied, the four levels of appeal and the strict deadlines, what to expect at the hearing before a judge and the vocational expert, and whether you need a representative and how their fees work.
9 guides →Benefits & Payments
The money side: how your benefit amount is figured, back pay and the five-month waiting period, Medicare and Medicaid, benefits for your family, whether disability is taxable, how SSI living arrangements affect your check, and what happens at retirement age.
8 guides →Working & Keeping Benefits
Keeping benefits and testing a return to work safely: the trial work period and SGA, Ticket to Work and other work incentives, continuing disability reviews, overpayments and waivers, expedited reinstatement, and what you must report to Social Security.
6 guides →Latest disability guides
- Working While on Disability: Trial Work Period and SGA
Yes, you can try working on SSDI or SSI without an instant cutoff. Here's how the trial work period, EPE, and SGA framework actually work.
- The Five-Step Sequential Evaluation: How SSA Decides
SSA decides every disability claim through five set questions. Here's what each step asks and where claims are typically won or lost.
- Expedited Reinstatement If Your Benefits Stopped
How expedited reinstatement (EXR) lets you restart SSDI or SSI within about 5 years of benefits stopping, without a new application.
- How to Prepare for Your Disability Hearing
How to prepare for a Social Security disability hearing: update records, get a function-based opinion, and testify honestly.
- What Medical Evidence You Need for a Disability Claim
Medical evidence is the heart of an SSA disability claim. Learn what records matter, why gaps in care hurt, and how opinions are weighed.
- Compassionate Allowances and Terminal Illness
How Compassionate Allowances and TERI speed up Social Security disability decisions for severe or terminal conditions, and how to flag your case.