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SSDI

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    Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

    Apply for Benefits

    You can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI):

    • Online (which starts the application process immediately instead of having to wait for an appointment), or
    • By calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 (TTY) to make an application appointment. Your appointment can be for applying over the phone or in person at your local Social Security office.

    You can apply online yourself, but if you want someone to guide you through the process, make an appointment with Social Security or contact a local Center for Independent Living (not all centers provide help with SSDI applications).

    Getting Your Application Ready

    Get your information ready for the SSDI application:

    • Names, addresses, and phone numbers of doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics, and others who have treated you
    • Prescriptions and results of medical tests
    • Copies of medical records, if you have them
      • Note: If you can't get copies of your medical records, you should apply anyway — Social Security can request them for you after you apply
    • Your Social Security Number and the Social Security Numbers of your spouse and any children under the age of 18
    • A certified copy of your birth certificate
    • Proof of U.S. citizenship or of legal residency, if you were born outside the U.S., like naturalization papers, your U.S. passport, or your green card
    • A certified copy of your military discharge papers (Form DD 214), if you were in the military
    • Copies of recent tax records or W-2 forms
    • Information on any Workers’ Compensation you’ve gotten
    • A list of the jobs you've done for the past five years

    Social Security provides a detailed checklist of the information you need to complete the application process.

    Other Benefits

    It takes a while for your SSDI application to be reviewed and, if you qualify, benefits don’t begin until five months after your disability began. If you are approved, you start getting monthly payments, but have to wait another two years before you automatically start getting Medicare health coverage.

    While you are waiting for Social Security to review your application and then for Medicare to begin, you should see what else might help you. At first, try to use your job's sick pay or vacation pay and see whether your company has a short-term or long-term disability insurance plan.

    Then, you can apply for other benefits, including:

    The Access Nevada website can help you:

    • Figure out which state benefits might help you
    • Apply for those benefits, and
    • Manage those benefits once you get them.

    You can also apply for state benefits in person at your local Division of Social Services (DSS) office.

    If you served in the military and are a veteran, you may also qualify for VA Disability Compensation or VA Pension benefits.

    SSDI and SSI at the same time

    You may qualify for SSDI and SSI benefits at the same time. The SSI program counts SSDI payments as unearned income. For a single person who lives independently, this means that if you get $1,014 or more per month in SSDI, you don't qualify for SSI benefits. (This amount is higher if you are blind or over age 65.)

    If you get less than $1,014 per month from SSDI and you don’t have any other income, you may qualify for SSI benefits. Usually, you get a combined total of $1,014 in benefits each month between the two programs.

    For example, if you get $500 per month from SSDI and have no other income, you could get $514 per month from SSI.

    Note: You have to apply for SSI separately. Learn more in DB101's SSI article.

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