Can You Receive Disability Benefits Without a Work History?

If you are disabled and unable to work and earn an income as a result, you may wonder if you should seek disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. You may be unable to work now as a result of your disability – but what if you’ve never worked at all? If you find yourself in this situation, you may wonder if you’ll still be able to pursue benefits. Let’s take a closer look at the law together.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

Those interested in seeking disability benefits from the Social Security Administration should be aware that two types of benefits may be available, depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

The two types of benefits include:

• Social Security Disability Insurance: This is the type of benefit that many people associate with the term “Social Security disability benefits.” These disability benefits are funded with revenue from Social Security taxes that workers regularly pay through their wages. Those who do so are considered “insured” for the purpose of seeking disability benefits.
• Supplemental Security Income: Unlike the case with SSDI benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits, or SSI benefits, for short, are not funded with taxes paid through workers’ salaries, but are instead funded through the general revenue. As a result, it is not necessary to have worked and paid taxes into the system to receive SSI benefits. It is, however, required that the applicant have income and resources below a certain limit established annually by the Social Security Administration.

In order to receive either type of benefit, the applicant must also be able to submit evidence proving that they have a disabling medical condition that has rendered them disabled for at least one continuous calendar year or more.

Having read about the two types of benefits, you may have correctly concluded that those who have never worked cannot collect SSDI benefits, because an essential part of collecting the benefit is being “insured” by paying into the system. You may, however, be able to collect SSI benefits, depending upon your circumstances.

As we have noted, in order to pursue SSI, you must have a disabling condition that has rendered you disabled for one year or more, and income and resources below a certain limit established by the Social Security Administration. Let’s take a closer look at both of these components.

How Does the Social Security Administration Assess Disability?

When determining whether or not a particular medical condition is a “disability” for the purpose of awarding benefits, the Social Security Administration will often consult its listing of impairments, which it refers to as the Blue Book. The Blue Book includes a wide variety of conditions and their accompanying symptoms. Those who can provide medical proof of a condition listed in the guide will typically increase their chances of approval, although having a condition listed in the guide is not strictly necessary.

It is also important to understand that the Social Security Administration will only award benefits for conditions that have rendered the applicant totally disabled for at least one continuous calendar year or more. Benefits are not payable for partial or short-term disabilities.

What Are the Income Limits for SSI?

Because SSI is funded from general revenue and intended to help low-income individuals, there are annual limits on the amount of resources and income an individual can have to receive benefits. These limits change from year to year in accordance with various economic factors.

In 2025, total resources for an individual should not be more than $2,000, or $3,000 for couples. For parents applying on behalf of a child, these numbers increase by $2,000. As a general rule, individuals seeking SSI benefits should not earn more than $2,019 from work each month. This limit increases for couples and those who apply on behalf of their children.

In determining “income,” the Social Security Administration will often look at other sources of income aside from work, including pensions, unemployment benefits, and others. Understandably, these limits and calculations may seem confusing, so consulting with an attorney regarding your particular circumstances is always advised.

It’s also important to note that if you are awarded SSI benefits, there is a maximum monthly amount you can receive, which typically changes from year to year. In 2025, the maximum amount of SSI benefits an individual can receive each month is $967 per month for an individual, and $1,450 per couple.

Call Disability Experts Today

At Disability Experts, we know that living with a disability can present many challenges. While some of those challenges are unavoidable, there is help that may be available for the financial difficulties that many disabled individuals face. We’re here to help you pursue those benefits. We know and understand every aspect of the law, and we’ll work with you during each step of the claims process to keep you informed and involved. If you’re ready to get started today, give us a call. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

• SSA Disability Benefits – How Does Someone Become Eligible? https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html
• Who Can Get SSI: https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/eligibility