You must have a medical condition that meets the definition of a disability by the Social Security Administration (SSA). However, under Social Security, the definition of that term is different than many other programs and insurance companies.
The Social Security Administration considers you disabled if the following are true:
- You cannot do the same work you did before.
- You cannot adjust to other types of work because of your medical conditions.
- Your medical conditions are expected to result in disability for at least one year or result in death.
You must be totally disabled to meet Social Security Disability requirements. Partial disability or short-term disabilities will not qualify for benefits. The SSA assumes that families with working individuals have other means to provide support if someone becomes disabled on a short-term basis. Those resources may include workers’ compensation, short- and long-term disability insurance through an employer, savings accounts, and investments that you can use.