Who is Eligible for SSI

Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is one of two programs that the Social Security Administration operates to provide benefits to individuals who are disabled. Supplemental Security Income does not require you have to worked in order to obtain benefits, so it is often an option for low-income families with disabled children.  However, while you do not need to have a work history to get benefits, there are strict requirements you must fulfill in order to qualify. 

A Los Angeles disability benefits lawyer can provide assistance to disabled individuals who cannot work and who want to determine if they will be eligible for Supplemental Security Income or not.  It's important to contact an attorney as soon as you become disabled because a claim for benefits takes time and you may have no income coming in during the interim. 

​Who is Eligible for SSI? 

​In order to be eligible for SSI, you must have a limited income and few financial resources.  You also must meet the Social Security's definition of disabled. This means your condition must either be expected to end in death or must be a long-term condition that has lasted a year or that's expected to last that long.

Your condition will need to be severe enough to prevent you from doing jobs for which you are qualified. The Social Security Administration has prepared a list of impairments, called the Blue Book, detailing specific conditions and symptoms that must accompany those conditions in order to qualify for benefits. If you can prove you have a qualifying condition in the Blue Book or if you can show your condition is equivalent in severity to listed conditions, you may be eligible for SSI benefits.

Many qualified applicants have their claim for benefits denied, however, because the Social Security Administration has a very strict approval process. A Los Angeles disability benefits lawyer can provide assistance in making a benefits claim and in appealing a denial.