SSDI, or Social Security Disability Insurance is a tax funded insurance program of the United States Government, which aids the disabled person when they get where they can no longer work because of a physical or mental disability. The aid is to provide income for the individuals until their health condition improves or guarantees them income if their condition doe not improve.

The Social Security Administration states that a person qualifies for SSDI if they have a physical or mental condition, which prevents them from engaging in gainful employment. The individual also has to have a physical or mental health condition, which is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death. Another stipulation is that the individual has to be under 65 years of age and must have worked at least 5 of the past 10 years. The work stipulation is waived if the person can prove they were disabled before they reached the age of 22. These individuals may be able to draw on their parents work credits but the parents will not lose any of their benefits if this occurs.

It takes a while to get SS Disability because there are sometimes several appeals processes to go through. The initial application will take about 88 days before there is a first reconsideration or a chance for appeal. There is a hearing after about 483 days and a court appeals council after 203 days after that. There is only about 36% of the all applications within a certain period that are actually approved the first time around. After the rest have appealed the process, the next time, around about 14% are approved the second time around. After a hearing in the final round, about 63% are approved and after that there are no more appeals given and the rest have to take their cases to the Federal District Courts. It is a shame that someone who is disabled and has no income has to go so long before they can get something that is really theirs to begin with. It is believed, by many that the government hopes the individual will eventually give up the fight and they will not have to give out this money. Or the government feels that if they stall long enough, the individual will die (which happens often), and they will not have to pay the benefits.

The amount of income that the Government gives the individuals will often not be enough to live on anyway and in some cases the welfare has to pitch in and pay the individual some too in order for the individual to be able to pay their rent, utilities, and other living expenses. Many of them also qualify for food stamps.