SSI vs SSDI: Understanding Disability Benefits Without the Jargon

When health cuts your income, the right disability program can keep you afloat—without drowning in jargon.

Finding the right path through disability benefits doesn’t have to be a maze. Here’s a plain-English guide to SSI vs SSDI so you can take confident next steps. If you’re in Houston, Texas, start points and evidence requirements may vary—align your plan with local instructions.

Start Here: A Plain-English Plan to Decide Between SSI and SSDI

• Ask two questions first: Do I have enough recent work history? and Is my income/resources currently very limited?
  • Enough work credits + long-term medical limits → start with SSDI.
  • Very limited income/resources (even with little/no work history) → look at SSI.
  • Many people apply for both to see which one lands.
• Gather what you’ll need up front: recent medical records, medication list, doctor contacts, past employers, and a simple timeline of symptoms and limits.
• Create a my Social Security account to check work credits and prep forms.
• Apply: SSDI often starts online; SSI typically starts with your local office—ask for a protective filing date when you first make contact.
• If denied, don’t stop—appeals are part of the path, not a failure. Put deadlines on your calendar the day you get a notice.

Inside SSA’s Five-Step Decision: What Examiners Check and How to Prepare

A tiny scenario: You were a delivery driver with severe neuropathy. You can’t lift boxes or stand long. Here’s how your case is reviewed, and how to strengthen it:

• Work test (Step 1): Are you working at a level SSA considers “substantial”? Keep pay stubs and hours to show any cuts or stoppages.
• Severity & duration (Step 2): Medical evidence must show a condition that significantly limits basic work activities and is expected to last 12+ months (or be terminal). Ask providers to include functional limits (how long you can sit/stand, lift, concentrate).
• Listings (Step 3): Some conditions meet criteria outright. If you’re close, ask your doctor to address the specific findings SSA looks for (e.g., exams, imaging, labs).
• Past work (Step 4): SSA decides what you actually did on the job, not just the title. Write a clear summary of your real tasks and physical/mental demands.
• Other work (Step 5): Age, education, and skills matter. If limits leave few realistic jobs, the medical-vocational rules can tip the decision your way.
• Preparation moves: keep a symptom/work diary, respond quickly to SSA mail, bring a simple med list and treating-source letters that focus on functional ability (not just diagnoses).

Working While You Apply or After Approval: Trial Work, SSI Earnings Rules, and Smart Reporting

A tiny scenario: You try 12 hours/week as a cashier to see if you can manage. You’re worried you’ll lose everything—here’s the guardrail view:

• SSDI’s Trial Work Period (TWP): Lets you test work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) within a 60-month window while still getting your SSDI check—report your earnings and keep records.
• After TWP, the Extended Period of Eligibility can pause/resume checks when earnings go above/below SSA’s limits; always keep copies of pay stubs and notices.
• SSI works differently: Payments adjust with earnings—they can go down as you earn more, but may not drop to zero if earnings are low enough.
• Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWEs): Certain out-of-pocket costs tied to working (e.g., specialized transit, assistive devices) can reduce countable earnings.
• Report early and often: Call, use approved online tools where available, and document every report (dates, who you spoke with, what you sent).

"If they’re going to reject me, go on and reject me so I can get before a judge."
— Sandra-Kay Pearson, Greenville, SC
(The Washington Post, Social Security offices critical to disability benefits hit breaking point)

FAQs for Houston, Texas

References