Criteria for Illinois Social Security Disability

The federal government's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides regular income to disabled people and their dependents. To qualify for SSDI, individuals must meet several criteria. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is very strict about the criteria for disability benefits, and it turns down a very high percentage of applicants. Hence, it is important to know all the criteria to file for benefits. Because this is a federal program, these criteria are the same in Illinois as they are in the other 49 states.

Work Credit Requirements

• To be eligible for SSDI, an applicant must have at least six work credits. Applicants over 31 years old should have worked under Social Security for at least 20 quarters out of 40 quarters or five out of 10 years. Those under 31 must have work credits for at least half of the total number of quarters since they turned 21. A person who becomes disabled before reaching age 22 may be able to receive SSDI benefits based on his parents' income. The benefits for the children in such a circumstance would be half that of their parents.

Income Requirements

• To be eligible for SSDI, a person's monthly income must not be more than $1,000, as of 2010. However, in making this calculation, the SSA deducts any work expenses related to the disability. Examples of disability-related expenses include prescription medicine, a wheelchair, guide dogs for blind people and specialized work equipment. There are no asset limits for the SSDI program.

Disabilities Covered Automatically

• The SSA has a list of disabilities that automatically qualify a person to receive SSDI benefits. According to the Illinois Pro Bono website, these disabilities include amputation of the leg at the hips, total deafness, total blindness, permanent immobility, a stroke that makes it difficult to walk or use a hand, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and muscle atrophy, Down syndrome, severe mental deficiency and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known as Lou Gehrig's disease). If a person has a disability in this list or a combination of these conditions or a condition of equal severity but not identical, that person is automatically considered disabled and covered under SSDI. Local SSA offices can approve these automatic conditions (see Resources 1 to find your local office).

Other Disabilities

• If a person does not suffer from one of the automatically covered conditions, then she must prove that she suffers from a severe impairment that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months or is expected to result in death. A person must also prove that she is no longer able to do the work she did before becoming disabled and cannot do any other kind of work. Decisions about these conditions require consultation with the Disability Determination Services office in Springfield.

Exception

• The SSA has special rules for people who are legally blind; that is, their vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in the better eye. These people can be considered for disability benefits, but they have a higher monthly income limit. In 2010, this limit was $1,640.