1. Work History and "Insured Status"

To qualify for SSDI, you must have worked long enough and recently enough in a job where you paid Social Security taxes. This establishes your "insured status."

• Work Credits: Eligibility is determined by the number of work credits you have earned. You can earn up to four credits each year. The required number of credits depends on your age when your disability began.
• The 20/40 Rule (For Older Workers): Generally, for workers aged 31 and older, you need 40 work credits total, with 20 of those credits earned in the 10 years immediately before your disability began.
• Younger Workers: If you became disabled at a younger age, you may qualify with fewer total credits. For example, if you are under age 24, you may only need 6 credits earned in the 3-year period ending when your disability started.
• Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA): You must not be earning more than a certain amount each month through work. This limit is called the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) level. If your earnings exceed the SGA limit (which changes annually), you are generally not considered disabled.

2. Medical Disability Requirements

Your medical condition must meet the Social Security Administration's (SSA) strict definition of disability.

• Inability to Work: You must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that prevents you from performing Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).
• Severity and Duration: Your condition must be severe enough to significantly limit your ability to do basic work activities (like walking, sitting, lifting, or remembering).
• Long-Term Condition: The impairment must be expected to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months or be expected to result in death.
• Inability to Adjust to Other Work: The SSA will determine if your condition prevents you from doing the work you did previously and if it prevents you from adjusting to other types of work that exist in the national economy, considering your age, education, and past work experience.

3. The Five-Step Sequential Evaluation Process

In Georgia (as in all states), the Disability Determination Services (DDS) follows a five-step process to evaluate your claim:

• Step 1: Are you working? If you are engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA), you will not be considered disabled.
• Step 2: Is your condition severe? Your impairment must be severe and must be expected to last for at least 12 months.
• Step 3: Does your condition meet or equal a Listing? If your condition meets or medically equals one of the impairments in the SSA's Listing of Impairments, you are considered disabled.
• Step 4: Can you do your past relevant work? If you cannot do the work you did previously, the process moves to Step 5.
• Step 5: Can you do any other type of work? The SSA looks at your age, education, and work experience to determine if you can perform any other work that exists in the national economy. If not, you are considered disabled.

4. Additional Considerations in Georgia

While the eligibility rules are federal, there are a few state-level details to note.

• Application Processing: Your application will be processed by the Georgia Disability Determination Services (DDS). The processing time can vary, but the initial determination typically takes several months.
• State Benefits: Georgia does not offer a State Supplementary Payment (SSP) for SSI recipients (a separate program with different eligibility rules), but SSDI recipients may be automatically eligible for Medicare after a 24-month waiting period from the date of entitlement to benefits.
• Medicaid Eligibility: While SSDI recipients typically get Medicare, those with low income and resources may also qualify for Medicaid in Georgia.