Before You File A Disability Claim
You do not have to wait a year to apply. SSA says to apply as soon as you become disabled, and it charges nothing to apply. You can apply directly at ssa.gov/apply without this site or a representative.
Talk it through before you apply
Call if all three are true:
- You worked in recent years.
- You stopped because of a health or medical condition.
- You're not working, not on leave and not job hunting.
No recent work of your own, or applying for SSI only? SSA can help you directly at ssa.gov.
Lines open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Eastern.
A call is not an SSA appointment. It does not file a claim or set a filing date.
For new or denied claims. Already receiving SSDI or SSI? Use SSA's benefit services instead.
The 12-month rule
For adults, SSA's definition of disability includes a condition that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 consecutive months, or to result in death. Because the rule says expected, you do not have to wait for a year to pass.
The condition must also keep you from substantial work and from your past work or other work. SSA pays only for total disability, not partial or short-term disability, and calls this a strict definition. Read SSA's definition of disability.
When payments can start
Generally, SSDI has a five-month waiting period, so payments will not begin before the sixth full month of disability. SSA lists an exception for ALS. SSI disability payments can start the first full month after the date you filed, or the date you become eligible if that is later. None of this is a promise that a claim will be approved.
Applying with SSA
You can apply online. If you cannot finish online, SSA representatives can make an appointment for you to apply. SSA's Disability Starter Kit lists the documents and information SSA will ask for, and SSA office staff do not charge for their services.
For SSI, if you call SSA to make an appointment and then keep it and file, SSA may use the date of your call as your filing date. A call made from this site is not a call to SSA. Read SSA's guide to applying.