Individuals who are disabled or blind will need to have paid Social Security taxes to be eligible for insurance benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Additionally, to be eligible for SSDI benefits, you will need to have earned the minimum required work credits. Other differences include the payment and medical coverage available from the two programs.
In contrast, you do not need to have earned any work credits or have paid Social Security taxes in order to receive Supplemental Security Income. This means you can qualify for SSI even if you have never worked. In fact, SSI is designed to assist low-income and low-resource individuals who may have never been able to earn wages due to a disability or disabling condition.
To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, a disabled individual will need to meet different criteria, including (but not limited to):
- Having limited income
- Having limited resources
- Being a United States citizen or national
- Living in the U.S. or Northern Mariana Islands
