What are the Qualifications for SSI?

By meeting the qualifications for SSI, individuals can qualify for this federal government benefit program which provides money for food and necessities. The Supplemental Security Income is available to those who are disabled or blind, or those who are over the age of 65. Children and adults can qualify for this program, assuming they meet the other qualifications for SSI.

Key Qualifications

The Social Security Administration issues SSI benefits. In order to qualify, individuals need to meet some basic qualifications including:

• Be disabled or blind, or be over the age of 65 years old and have limited income from other sources.
• You must be a United States citizen or a national to qualify. It is possible to be an eligible noncitizen, if you fit within various categories.
• You must be a resident of the United States. You cannot be out of the country for longer than 30 days at one time to qualify.

It is also a requirement that if you qualify for other types of compensation that you apply for those benefits. An example is a pension. If you could be obtaining a pension, you must apply for that pension before applying for SSI benefits. This also applies for other Social Security benefits.

In order to obtain SSI benefits, you must give the Social Security Administration to obtain documents from all of your financial institutions and to request other information about you, to verify your identity and your income. You must also file an application to obtain benefits.

What Does Disabled Mean?

If you are an adult, disabled means that you are unable to do any substantially gainful activity and have a condition that can be expected to result in death or one that has lasted or is likely to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months. For those under the age of 18, disabled means that the individual has marked and severe functional limitations and the condition will result in death, has lasted, or will likely last for at least 12 months continuously.

Get Legal Advice

In some situations, the qualifications for SSI can be somewhat misunderstood. Since you must apply for this type of coverage, it is always best to request the aid of an attorney during that process to ensure that your application has the best chance of being accepted. Also, if you have been rejected in the past, an attorney can help you to reapply for SSI benefits and help you learn what other qualifications there may be.